Sorting processing system

Abstract

This sorting processing system comprises a first sorting system and a central system. The first sorting system has a first sorting device, a first detection unit, a first data storage unit, a first control unit, a first calculation unit, and a first determination unit. The central system has a central data storage unit and a central calculation unit. The first determination unit determines whether to transmit raw material information to the central system.

Description

Sorting and Processing System

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a sorting system.

[0002] The sorting system described in Patent Document 1 sorts a mixture containing multiple types of objects by object type. In such a sorting system, even within the same sorting device, fluctuations in the state of the input raw materials result in changes in sorting performance. Examples of the state of the input raw materials include the composition ratio, specific charge, particle size, and input amount. Examples of sorting performance include the recovery rate and purity. To improve sorting performance, it is necessary to determine appropriate sorting conditions based on information detected from the mixture to be sorted. Patent Document 1 discloses the combined use of two systems when determining sorting conditions.

[0003] Patent No. 4920273

[0004] In a configuration in which two systems are used in combination to determine selection conditions, as in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that when communication is performed between the two systems every time, the amount of data communication increases, and the burden of system maintenance and management increases.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a sorting processing system that can reduce the burden of system maintenance and management in a configuration in which sorting conditions are determined using two systems in combination.

[0006] A sorting processing system according to a first aspect of the present disclosure comprises a first sorting system and a central system, wherein the first sorting system comprises a first sorting device that sorts a mixture containing multiple types of objects by object type, a first detection unit that acquires raw material information regarding the mixture fed into the first sorting device, a first data storage unit that stores a database related to past raw material information, sorting conditions, and sorting results, a first control unit that changes the sorting conditions of the first sorting device, a first calculation unit that has an analytical model that outputs setting values ​​for the sorting conditions based on the raw material information acquired by the first detection unit and the database stored in the first data storage unit, and a first judgment unit, and the central system comprises a central data storage unit that stores a database related to past raw material information, sorting conditions, and sorting results, and a central calculation unit that has an analytical model that outputs setting values ​​for the sorting conditions based on the raw material information acquired by the first detection unit and the database stored in the central data storage unit, and the first judgment unit determines whether to send the raw material information to the central system based on the raw material information acquired by the first detection unit.

[0007] A sorting processing system according to a second aspect of the present disclosure includes a first sorting system and a central system, wherein the first sorting system includes a first sorting device that sorts a mixture containing multiple types of objects by object type, a first detection unit that acquires raw material information regarding the mixture input to the first sorting device, a first data storage unit that stores a database regarding past raw material information, sorting conditions, and sorting results, a first control unit that changes the sorting conditions of the first sorting device, and a first calculation unit that includes an analytical model that outputs setting values ​​regarding the sorting conditions based on the raw material information acquired by the first detection unit and the database stored in the first data storage unit, and the central system The system has a central data storage unit that stores a database of past raw material information, sorting conditions, and sorting results, a central processing unit equipped with an analytical model that outputs setting values ​​for the sorting conditions based on the raw material information acquired by the first detection unit and the database stored in the central data storage unit, and a charge amount setting unit, and the charge amount setting unit sets the charge amount to a user who owns the first sorting system based on at least one indicator of the amount of data transferred from the first sorting system to the central system, the amount of data stored of the raw material information in the central data storage unit, and the amount of data processed by the central processing unit during a charging unit period.

[0008] According to the first aspect of the present disclosure, the first determination unit determines whether to send raw material information to the central system, thereby reducing the frequency of communication between the first sorting system and the central system. Therefore, data communication volume can be reduced compared to when communication is performed between the two systems every time. Furthermore, according to the second aspect, usage fees can be reasonably collected from users who use the central system frequently. Thus, by reducing data communication volume or reasonably collecting usage fees, the burden of system maintenance and management can be reduced.

[0009] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a sorting processing system according to embodiment 1. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a first sorting system according to embodiment 1. Fig. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a sorting processing method according to embodiment 1. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a sorting processing system according to embodiment 2.

[0010] Embodiment 1. Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments and can be modified as desired within the scope of the technical concept of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a sorting system 1 in embodiment 1. The sorting system 1 includes a first sorting system 10 and a central system 40. The sorting system 1 may also include multiple sorting systems different from the first sorting system 10. In the example of FIG. 1, the sorting system 1 includes a second sorting system 20 and a third sorting system 30. However, the number of sorting systems included in the sorting system 1 can be changed.

[0011] The first sorting system 10 includes a first detection unit 11, a first sorting device 12, and a first processing device 13. The first processing device 13 includes a first data storage unit 13a, a first judgment unit 13b, and a first calculation unit 13c. The second sorting system 20 and the third sorting system 30 may have the same configuration as the first sorting system 10. In the example of FIG. 1 , the second sorting system 20 includes a second detection unit 21, a second sorting device 22, and a second processing device 23. The second processing device 23 includes a second data storage unit 23a, a second judgment unit 23b, and a second calculation unit 23c. However, the configurations of the second sorting system 20 and the third sorting system 30 may be different from that of the first sorting system 10.

[0012] The sorting systems 10 to 30 are configured to sort a mixture containing multiple types of objects by object type. As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, a plastic piece group P will be described as an example of a "mixture containing multiple types of objects." In the example of FIG. 2, the plastic piece group P contains two types of plastic pieces p1 and p2 made of different materials. However, three or more types of plastic pieces may be contained in the plastic piece group P. In the following, an example will be described in which the plastic piece p1 is ABS and the plastic piece p2 is PS. The plastic pieces p1 and p2 are obtained, for example, by crushing the housing of a home appliance using a crusher and drying it. The plastic pieces p1 and p2 are formed, for example, into a size of approximately 10 mm square.

[0013] The first sorting device 12 shown in Fig. 2 uses electrostatic sorting to separate plastic pieces p1 and p2 into different types. In the example of Fig. 2, the first sorting device 12 includes an input section 121, a charging cylinder 122, a vibrating feeder 123, a first electrode 124, a second electrode 125, a DC power supply 126, a collection box 127, and partition plates 128 and 129. However, the configuration of the first sorting device 12 in Fig. 2 is merely an example and can be modified.

[0014] The first sorting device 12 can electrostatically separate a group of plastic pieces P, which is a mixture of multiple types of plastic pieces p1 and p2 having different charging characteristics, into plastic pieces p1 and plastic pieces p2.

[0015] The input section 121 includes a hopper 121a and an input feeder 121b. Dried plastic piece groups P are supplied to the hopper 121a. The hopper 121a supplies a predetermined amount of the plastic piece groups P per unit time to the input feeder 121b. The input feeder 121b supplies the plastic piece groups P input from the hopper 121a into the charging cylinder 122.

[0016] The charging tube 122 and the vibrating feeder 123 constitute a charging unit. The charging unit charges each of the plastic pieces p1 and p2 and then drops them. Specifically, the charging tube 122 agitates the plastic piece group P by rotating. Inside the charging tube 122, the multiple types of plastic pieces p1 and p2 mixed in the plastic piece group P rub against each other and become charged. Each of the charged plastic pieces p1 and p2 has a charge of a polarity (positive or negative) according to the triboelectric series. In this example, the ABS plastic piece p1 is positively charged, and the PS plastic piece p2 is negatively charged.

[0017] The charged plastic pieces p1 and p2 are fed to the rear end of the upper surface of the vibrating feeder 123. The positively charged plastic piece p1 and the negatively charged plastic piece p2 are attracted to each other by electrostatic force and pair up. The vibrating feeder 123 pushes the plastic pieces p1 and p2 forward while vibrating them up and down. This breaks the pairing of the plastic pieces p1 and p2, and the plastic pieces p1 and p2 move forward in the X direction in the figure. The plastic pieces p1 and p2 also fall from the tip of the vibrating feeder 123.

[0018] The electrodes 124 and 125 and the DC power supply 126 constitute an electric field generator. The electric field generator applies an electrostatic field to each charged plastic piece, causing each plastic piece to fall to a position corresponding to the charge state of the plastic piece. Specifically, the electrodes 124 and 125 are formed in a flat plate shape. The electrodes 124 and 125 are arranged in the X direction in the figure, facing each other and sandwiching the path along which the plastic pieces p1 and p2 fall. A ground voltage GND is applied to the first electrode 124. The DC power supply 126 applies a predetermined DC voltage between the first electrode 124 and the second electrode 125, generating an electrostatic field between the first electrode 124 and the second electrode 125.

[0019] When plastic pieces p1 and p2, which have been unpaired by the vibrating feeder 123, are dropped between the electrodes 124 and 125, each plastic piece falls while being attracted to either the electrode 124 side or the electrode 125 side by electrostatic force according to its charge state (polarity, amount of charge). In other words, each plastic piece p1 and p2 follows a parabolic trajectory according to its charge state and falls to a different position. In this example, plastic piece p1 is positively charged and therefore falls toward the first electrode 124. On the other hand, plastic piece p2 is negatively charged and therefore falls toward the second electrode 125.

[0020] The collection box 127 is provided below the electrodes 124 and 125 and collects the plastic pieces p1 and p2 that have fallen from the vibrating feeder 123 after passing between the electrodes 124 and 125. The collection box 127 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape with an opening at the top. The opening of the collection box 127 is formed in a rectangular shape with its long side facing in the X direction in the figure.

[0021] Each of the partition plates 128, 129 is also referred to as a partition member. The partition plates 128, 129 are arranged parallel to the YZ plane in the figure within the recovery box 127 and are provided so as to be movable in the X direction in the figure. The positions of the partition plates 128, 129 in the X direction are controlled by the first control unit 14. The partition plate 128 is located on the first electrode 124 side, and the partition plate 129 is located on the second electrode 125 side. The recovery box 127 is divided by the partition plates 128, 129 into a recovery chamber 127a on the first electrode 124 side, a recovery chamber 127b on the second electrode 125 side, and an intermediate recovery chamber 127c.

[0022] Each plastic piece p1, p2 that falls from the vibrating feeder 123 and passes between the electrodes 124, 125 is collected in one of three collection chambers 127a to 127c depending on its charge state. In this example, plastic piece p1 is positively charged and is collected in collection chamber 127a. On the other hand, plastic piece p2 is negatively charged and is collected in collection chamber 127b. Plastic pieces p1, p2 that are not sufficiently charged are collected in collection chamber 127c.

[0023] The plastic pieces p1 collected in recovery chamber 127a, the plastic pieces p2 collected in recovery chamber 127b, and the plastic pieces p1 and p2 collected in recovery chamber 127c are transported by a conveying machine (not shown) and stored in separate containers.

[0024] A portion of the plastic piece group P is sampled by the first detection unit 11 at a predetermined frequency. The first detection unit 11 acquires raw material information regarding the plastic piece group P. The first detection unit 11 may include multiple types of sensors. As a specific example, the first detection unit 11 may detect the composition ratio of the plastic pieces p1 and p2. The first detection unit 11 may also detect the specific charge of the plastic piece group P. In other words, the "raw material information" may be the composition ratio or the specific charge. The "raw material information" may also include both the composition ratio and the specific charge, or may include other types of information.

[0025] The method for identifying the types of plastic pieces p1 and p2 is not particularly limited, but may use, for example, an infrared sensor. Specifically, a portion of the plastic piece group P is extracted and irradiated with infrared light, and the type of plastic is identified from the spectrum of the reflected light. The composition ratio of the plastic piece group P can then be calculated by comparing the masses of the identified plastic pieces p1 and p2. Alternatively, the specific charge can be calculated by measuring the charge of the plastic pieces p1 and p2 using a charge sensor or the like and dividing by the mass. An example of the composition ratio of the plastic piece group P may be that the content of plastic piece p1 (ABS) is 60% and the content of plastic piece p2 (PS) is 40%. An example of the specific charge may be that the specific charge of plastic piece p1 (ABS) is +20 nC / g and the specific charge of plastic piece p2 (PS) is -10 nC / g. Such raw material information may change over time. Therefore, the first detection unit 11 acquires raw material information of the plastic piece group P, for example, at regular time intervals.

[0026] The first detection unit 11 inputs the acquired current raw material information to the first processing device 13. The raw material information is stored in the first data storage unit 13a. The first data storage unit 13a stores a database related to past raw material information, sorting conditions, and sorting results. The first calculation unit 13c is equipped with an analytical model that outputs setting values ​​related to the sorting conditions of the first sorting device 12. This analytical model analyzes the setting values ​​of the sorting conditions to obtain optimal sorting accuracy based on the current raw material information detected by the first detection unit 11 and the database stored in the first data storage unit 13a.

[0027] The set values ​​of the sorting conditions, which are the analysis results of the first calculation unit 13c, are input to the first control unit 14. The first control unit 14 controls the sorting conditions of the first sorting device 12 based on the set values ​​input from the first calculation unit 13c. For example, the first control unit 14 may control the positions of the partition plates 128 and 129 in the X direction. Alternatively, the first control unit 14 may control the rotation speed or tilt of the charging cylinder 122, the voltage applied by the DC power supply 126 to the second electrode 125, etc. In other words, the "set values" are the positions of the partition plates 128 and 129 in the X direction, the rotation speed or tilt of the charging cylinder 122, the voltage of the DC power supply 126, etc. The "set values" may include these multiple parameters.

[0028] The sorting systems 10 to 30 are capable of communicating with the central system 40. The sorting systems 10 to 30 are connected to the central system 40 via the cloud or the like. As will be described in detail later, the first determination unit 13b determines whether the first sorting system 10 communicates with the central system 40. Similarly, the second determination unit 23b determines whether the second sorting system 20 communicates with the central system 40.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1 , the central system 40 includes a central data storage unit 41 and a central processing unit 42. The central data storage unit 41 stores a database (hereinafter referred to as "big data") related to past raw material information, sorting conditions, and sorting accuracy. This big data may include data acquired from the sorting systems 10 to 30, or may include data acquired from other sorting systems or simulation results. The central system 40 may periodically communicate with the sorting systems 10 to 30 to acquire such big data. Alternatively, an administrator of the central system 40 may manually collect data from the sorting systems 10 to 30 and store the data in the central data storage unit 41.

[0030] The central processing unit 42 calculates setting values ​​for optimal sorting conditions for each of the sorting systems 10 to 30 based on the big data stored in the central data storage unit 41 and the current raw material information received from the sorting systems 10 to 30. This calculation is performed using an analytical model possessed by the central processing unit 42. The setting values ​​for the sorting conditions calculated by the central processing unit 42 are transmitted to the sorting systems 10 to 30.

[0031] The analytical models of the first calculation unit 13c and the central calculation unit 42 may use, for example, multiple regression analysis. Furthermore, the analytical models of the first calculation unit 13c and the central calculation unit 42 may use machine learning. These analytical models perform analysis based on a combination of past raw material information, setting values ​​of the sorting conditions, and sorting accuracy, and output setting values ​​of the sorting conditions that are appropriate for the current raw material information. The analytical models of the first calculation unit 13c and the central calculation unit 42 may be the same or different.

[0032] The central data storage unit 41 of the central system 40 stores big data related to past raw material information, sorting conditions, and sorting accuracy for the multiple sorting systems 10-30. Therefore, better sorting accuracy is likely to be achieved if the central processing unit 42 of the central system 40 determines the sorting condition settings using big data, rather than each sorting system 10-30 determining the sorting condition settings independently. Furthermore, for example, if a supercomputer is used as the central processing unit 42, the analytical model of the central processing unit 42 may have higher performance than the first processing unit 13c. Even in this case, the settings determined by the central processing unit 42 may still provide better sorting accuracy than the settings determined by the first processing unit 13c. On the other hand, if the sorting systems 10-30 communicate with the central system 40 each time they determine the sorting conditions and have the central processing unit 42 perform the calculations, the amount of data communication increases.

[0033] In addition to the above, if the central system 40 determines the sorting conditions for the sorting systems 10 to 30 each time, the following problems may arise. That is, a time lag occurs between when the sorting systems 10 to 30 acquire raw material information, when the raw material information is transmitted to the central system 40, and when the sorting conditions are returned to the sorting systems 10 to 30. This increases the processing load and maintenance costs of the central system 40. Furthermore, if the sorting systems 10 to 30 are owned by different people, this increases security risks, such as theft or tampering of information about each owner.

[0034] In order to determine appropriate sorting conditions based on raw material information while alleviating the above-mentioned problems, the sorting processing system 1 of this embodiment performs processing as shown in the flowchart in Fig. 3. Note that the flowchart in Fig. 3 is merely an example and does not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0035] First, in step S1, the first detection unit 11 acquires current ingredient information. The first detection unit 11 inputs this ingredient information to the first determination unit 13b. In step S2, the first determination unit 13b compares the current ingredient information with the database stored in the first data storage unit 13a. Furthermore, the first determination unit 13b determines whether or not to send the current ingredient information to the central system 40. Specific examples of the determination include the following first and second determination methods.

[0036] In the first determination method, optimal sorting conditions are determined based on the current raw material information and the database stored in the first data storage unit 13a, and the sorting accuracy under those sorting conditions is predicted. The sorting accuracy refers to, for example, recovery rate and purity. If the predicted sorting accuracy exceeds a threshold, the raw material information is not sent to the central system 40, and the process proceeds to step S3 (step S2: NO). If the predicted sorting accuracy is below the threshold, the process proceeds to step S5, where the raw material information is sent to the central system 40 (step S2: YES).

[0037] In the second determination method, the determination is made based on whether the current raw material information is within a predetermined numerical range. The "predetermined numerical range" is determined, for example, based on past sorting results so as to obtain a desired sorting accuracy. The "past sorting results" may be sorting results from the first sorting system 10 or from another sorting system. For example, raw material information from past sorting results from the first sorting system 10 that did not obtain a desired sorting accuracy may not be included in the "predetermined numerical range." If the current raw material information is within the predetermined numerical range, the raw material information is not sent to the central system 40, and the process proceeds to step S3 (step S2: NO). If the current raw material information is outside the predetermined numerical range, the process proceeds to step S5, where the raw material information is sent to the central system 40 (step S2: YES).

[0038] A specific example of the second determination method is shown below. Here, it is assumed that the "predetermined numerical range" is a composition ratio of 40 to 80% and a specific charge of 10 to 30 nC / g for ABS. If the current raw material information detected by the first detection unit 11 has an ABS composition ratio of 60% and a specific charge of 20 nC / g, this falls within the "predetermined numerical range." Therefore, the first determination unit 13b determines not to transmit the raw material information to the central system 40. If the current raw material information detected by the first detection unit 11 has an ABS composition ratio of 90% and a specific charge of 15 nC / g, this falls outside the "predetermined numerical range." Therefore, the first determination unit 13b determines to transmit the raw material information to the central system 40.

[0039] However, the numerical ranges in the above specific examples regarding the second determination method are merely examples. The first determination unit 13b may perform determination by combining the first determination method and the second determination method.

[0040] 3, the first calculation unit 13c outputs setting values ​​for the sorting conditions based on the current raw material information and the database stored in the first calculation unit 13c. In step S6, the central calculation unit 42 outputs setting values ​​for the sorting conditions based on the current raw material information and the database (big data) stored in the central data storage unit 41. In step S4, the first control unit 14 controls the sorting conditions of the first sorting device 12 based on the setting values ​​output by the first calculation unit 13c or the central calculation unit 42.

[0041] 1 and 2, in this embodiment, the set values ​​of the sorting conditions are input to the first control unit 14 via the first route R1 or the second route R2. The first determination unit 13b determines whether to select the first route R1 or the second route R2. The first route R1 is selected in a situation where it is predicted that a desirable sorting result can be obtained without going through the central system 40. The second route R2 is selected in a situation where the central system 40 should be used to obtain a desirable sorting result.

[0042] Although details are omitted, a similar process may be performed in the second sorting system 20. That is, the second determination unit 23b may determine whether or not to transmit the current raw material information acquired by the second detection unit 21 to the central system 40.

[0043] As described above, the sorting processing system 1 according to the embodiment includes a first sorting system 10 and a central system 40. The first sorting system 10 includes a first sorting device 12 that sorts a mixture (plastic piece group P) containing multiple types of objects into object types (plastic pieces p1, p2), a first detection unit 11 that acquires raw material information about the mixture input to the first sorting device 12, a first data storage unit 13a that stores a database related to past raw material information, sorting conditions, and sorting results, a first control unit 14 that changes the sorting conditions of the first sorting device 12, a first calculation unit 13c that includes an analytical model that outputs setting values ​​for the sorting conditions based on the raw material information acquired by the first detection unit 11 and the database stored in the first data storage unit 13a, and a first determination unit 13b. The central system 40 has a central data storage unit 41 that stores a database related to past raw material information, sorting conditions, and sorting results, and a central processing unit 42 that includes an analytical model that outputs setting values ​​related to the sorting conditions based on the raw material information acquired by the first detection unit 11 and the database stored in the central data storage unit 41. The first determination unit 13b determines whether or not to transmit the raw material information to the central system 40, based on the raw material information acquired by the first detection unit 11.

[0044] According to the sorting processing system 1 configured as described above, if the sorting conditions can be set appropriately within the first sorting system 10, the first sorting system 10 does not communicate with the central system 40. In other words, the frequency of communication between the first sorting system 10 and the central system 40 can be reduced. Therefore, the amount of data communication can be reduced compared to when communication is performed between the two systems every time. Furthermore, if the sorting conditions cannot be set appropriately within the first sorting system 10, communication can be performed with the central system 40, and more accurate setting values ​​for the sorting conditions determined by the central processing unit 42 can be adopted. In other words, according to the sorting processing system 1, both the amount of data communication and sorting accuracy can be achieved.

[0045] The first determination unit 13b may make a determination based on at least one of the raw material information acquired by the first detection unit 11, the database stored in the first data storage unit 13a, and the sorting result predicted by the first calculation unit 13c. With this configuration, it is possible to determine whether to transmit raw material information to the central system 40 depending on whether a desirable sorting result can be obtained by the first sorting system 10 alone.

[0046] The second sorting system 20 may have a configuration similar to that of the first sorting system 10. That is, the second sorting system 20 may include a second sorting device 22 that sorts a mixture containing multiple types of objects by object type, a second detection unit 21 that acquires raw material information about the mixture input to the second sorting device 22, a second data storage unit 23a that stores a database of past raw material information, sorting conditions, and sorting results, a second control unit 24 that changes the sorting conditions of the second sorting device 22, a second calculation unit 23c that includes an analytical model that outputs setting values ​​for the sorting conditions based on the raw material information acquired by the second detection unit 21 and the database stored in the second data storage unit 23a, and a second determination unit 23b. The second determination unit 23b may determine whether to transmit the raw material information to the central system 40 based on the raw material information acquired by the second detection unit 21.

[0047] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment will be described. The sorting processing system 1 of the second embodiment has the same basic configuration as the first embodiment. Therefore, the same parts as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their explanations are omitted, and only the differences will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, a central system 40 according to the second embodiment has a charge amount setting unit 43.

[0048] The fee setting unit 43 sets a fee for each fee unit period for each owner of the sorting systems 10 to 30 according to the usage status of the central system 40. The fee unit period is the period for which the fee is determined. For example, if the fee is determined monthly, the fee unit period is one month. If the fee is determined weekly, the fee unit period is one week. The fee may be set based on the amount of data transferred from the first sorting system 10 to the central system 40. Alternatively, the fee may be set based on the amount of data stored in the central data storage unit 41 for the raw material information transmitted from the first sorting system 10. Alternatively, the fee may be set based on the amount of data processed by the central processing unit 42 for the raw material information transmitted from the first sorting system 10.

[0049] In other words, the fee setting unit 43 may set the fee to be charged to a user who owns the first sorting system 10 based on at least one of the following indicators during a charging unit period: the amount of data transferred from the first sorting system 10 to the central system 40, the amount of raw material information stored in the central data storage unit 41, and the amount of data processed by the central processing unit 42. This configuration makes it possible to set a fee for each user based on the usage status of the central system 40. This makes it possible to rationally recover maintenance costs for the central system 40, and thereby reduce the burden of maintaining and managing the system.

[0050] The technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0051] For example, each function of the first determination unit 13b, the second determination unit 23b, the first calculation unit 13c, the second calculation unit 23c, the central calculation unit 42, the billing amount setting unit 43, etc. is realized by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program stored in a program memory. Some or all of these functions may be realized by hardware such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware.

[0052] The functions of the first determination unit 13b and the first calculation unit 13c may be realized by the same hardware. The functions of the second determination unit 23b and the second calculation unit 23c may be realized by the same hardware. The functions of the first data storage unit 13a, the second data storage unit 23a, and the central data storage unit 41 may be realized by a storage device such as a RAM, a flash memory, or an HDD.

[0053] In the above embodiments, the plastic fragment group P has been described as an example of a "mixture containing multiple types of objects" to be sorted by the sorting systems 10 to 30. However, the sorting systems 10 to 30 may also sort a mixture of objects other than plastic fragments. In this case, too, the present disclosure contributes to solving problems that arise when determining sorting conditions using multiple systems in combination.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the case where plastic pieces are sorted by electrostatic sorting has been described. However, the sorting method is not limited to this, and may be, for example, gravity sorting or optical sorting. Gravity sorting is a sorting method that utilizes the fact that each type of plastic piece has a different specific gravity. For example, if a group of plastic pieces is vibrated or floated on a medium, plastic pieces with a higher specific gravity will descend and plastic pieces with a lower specific gravity will rise.

[0055] Optical sorting is a sorting method that takes advantage of the fact that the reflectivity of light differs depending on the type of plastic piece. In optical sorting, a group of plastic pieces is irradiated with detection light and the reflected light is detected. Light of various wavelength bands, such as infrared or X-ray, can be used as the detection light. By detecting the spectrum of reflected light or Raman scattered light, the plastic pieces can be distinguished by type. After distinguishing them in this way, the plastic pieces can be sorted by air blowing, etc.

[0056] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, it is not essential that the first determination unit 13b etc. perform the determination. In other words, in the second embodiment, the first determination unit 13b may be omitted.

[0057] Furthermore, it is possible to combine the modified examples mentioned in the embodiments, and to modify or omit the components in the embodiments as appropriate.

[0058] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1...Sorting processing system 10-30...Sorting system 10...First sorting system 11...First detection unit 12...First sorting device 13a...First data storage unit 13b...First judgment unit 13c...First calculation unit 14...First control unit 20...Second sorting system 21...Second detection unit 22...Second sorting device 23a...Second data storage unit 23b...Second judgment unit 23c...Second calculation unit 24...Second control unit 40...Central system 41...Central data storage unit 42...Central calculation unit 43...Charge amount setting unit

Claims

1. A system comprising: a first sorting system; and a central system; wherein the first sorting system comprises: a first sorting device that sorts a mixture containing multiple types of objects by object type; a first detection unit that acquires raw material information related to the mixture fed into the first sorting device; a first data storage unit that stores a database related to past raw material information, sorting conditions, and sorting results; a first control unit that changes the sorting conditions of the first sorting device; a first calculation unit that has an analytical model that outputs setting values ​​related to the sorting conditions based on the raw material information acquired by the first detection unit and the database stored in the first data storage unit; and a first judgment unit; wherein the central system comprises: a central data storage unit that stores a database related to past raw material information, sorting conditions, and sorting results; and a central calculation unit that has an analytical model that outputs setting values ​​related to the sorting conditions based on the raw material information acquired by the first detection unit and the database stored in the central data storage unit; and the first judgment unit that judges whether or not to transmit the raw material information to the central system based on the raw material information acquired by the first detection unit. Sorting and processing system.

2. The sorting processing system described in claim 1, wherein the first judgment unit makes the judgment based on at least one piece of information selected from the raw material information acquired by the first detection unit, the database stored in the first data storage unit, and the sorting result predicted by the first calculation unit.

3. A sorting processing system as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the central system has a charge amount setting unit, and the charge amount setting unit sets a charge amount to a user who owns the first sorting system according to at least one indicator of the amount of data transferred from the first sorting system to the central system, the amount of data stored of the raw material information in the central data storage unit, and the amount of data processed in the central processing unit during a charging unit period.

4. A sorting processing system as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a second sorting system, the second sorting system having: a second sorting device that sorts a mixture containing multiple types of objects by type of object; a second detection unit that acquires raw material information regarding the mixture fed into the second sorting device; a second data storage unit that stores a database regarding past raw material information, sorting conditions, and sorting results; a second control unit that changes the sorting conditions of the second sorting device; a second calculation unit that has an analytical model that outputs setting values ​​regarding the sorting conditions based on the raw material information acquired by the second detection unit and the database stored in the second data storage unit; and a second judgment unit, wherein the second judgment unit judges whether or not to send the raw material information to the central system based on the raw material information acquired by the second detection unit.

5. A sorting processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first sorting device sorts the mixture by electrostatic sorting.

6. The sorting processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the mixture is a group of plastic pieces and the type of object is a plastic material.

7. A system comprising: a first sorting system; and a central system, wherein the first sorting system comprises: a first sorting device that sorts a mixture containing multiple types of objects by object type; a first detection unit that acquires raw material information regarding the mixture fed into the first sorting device; a first data storage unit that stores a database related to past raw material information, sorting conditions, and sorting results; a first control unit that changes the sorting conditions of the first sorting device; and a first calculation unit that has an analytical model that outputs setting values ​​for the sorting conditions based on the raw material information acquired by the first detection unit and the database stored in the first data storage unit; and the central system comprises: a central data storage unit that stores a database related to past raw material information, sorting conditions, and sorting results; a central calculation unit that has an analytical model that outputs setting values ​​for the sorting conditions based on the raw material information acquired by the first detection unit and the database stored in the central data storage unit; and a charge amount setting unit. A sorting processing system in which the charge amount setting unit sets the charge amount to the user who owns the first sorting system based on at least one indicator of the amount of data transferred from the first sorting system to the central system, the amount of data stored of the raw material information in the central data storage unit, and the amount of data processed in the central processing unit during a billing unit period.

Images