Material sorting method and material sorting device

Abstract

A material sorting method, relating to the field of material sorting, the field of radiation inspection, or other fields. The material sorting method comprises: in response to particle size information of materials to be sorted satisfying a preset condition, controlling at least one of a ray source (221) and a detector (222) to move, so as to obtain a radiation distance and a detection distance matching the particle size information; controlling the ray source (221) to emit radiation rays toward the materials on the basis of the radiation distance, and controlling the detector (222) to receive ray signals of the radiation rays on the basis of the detection distance, so as to obtain a radiation image; and sorting the materials on the basis of the radiation image. Further provided is a material sorting device. The material sorting method and device can improve the image quality of imaging and the accuracy of subsequent steps such as analysis and identification.

Description

Material sorting methods and material sorting devices

[0001] This disclosure claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411958211.6, filed on December 27, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to the fields of material sorting, radiation inspection, or other fields, and more specifically, to material sorting methods and material sorting apparatus. Background Technology

[0003] Material sorting refers to the process of classifying and selecting materials based on their specific properties or standards during production, logistics, and warehousing. For example, materials to be sorted are uniformly fed to the sorting area via a conveyor belt; then, X-ray imaging technology is used to scan the materials and identify the X-ray images; a computer analyzes this data, determines the blowing strategy, and transmits instructions to the blowing execution system; finally, the blowing execution system controls the opening and closing of the jet valves and the blowing time according to the instructions to blow the material to the target sorting position.

[0004] Therefore, in the material sorting process, the image quality of the material to be sorted is crucial to the accuracy of subsequent analysis and identification, determination of the spraying strategy, and execution of the spraying. Improving the image quality and the accuracy of subsequent analysis and identification steps is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides a material sorting method and a material sorting device.

[0006] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a material sorting method is provided, comprising: in response to the particle size information of the material to be sorted meeting preset conditions, controlling at least one of a radiation source and a detector to move to obtain a radiation distance and a detection distance adapted to the particle size information; controlling the radiation source to send radiation rays to the material to be sorted based on the radiation distance, and controlling the detector to receive the radiation ray signal based on the detection distance to obtain a radiation image; and sorting the material to be sorted according to the radiation image.

[0007] In some embodiments, controlling the movement of at least one of the radiation source and the detector, based on the particle size information of the material to be sorted, includes at least one of the following: controlling the radiation source to move closer to or away from the bottom of the material to be sorted along the transmission path of the radiation rays, wherein the radiation source is located below the material to be sorted; and controlling the detector to move closer to or away from the top of the material to be sorted along the transmission path of the radiation signal, wherein the detector is located above the material to be sorted.

[0008] In some embodiments, controlling the movement of at least one of the radiation source and detector based on the particle size information of the material to be sorted further includes: dynamically adjusting the position of at least one of the radiation source and detector in response to changes in the particle size information of the material to be sorted entering the radiation area of ​​the radiation source during the transportation of the material to be sorted.

[0009] In some embodiments, a conveyor belt is configured to transport materials to be sorted, wherein the X-ray source is located below the area of ​​the conveyor belt carrying the materials to be sorted, and the detector is located above the area of ​​the conveyor belt carrying the materials to be sorted.

[0010] In some embodiments, controlling the movement of at least one of the radiation source and the detector according to the particle size information of the material to be sorted further includes: controlling the movement of the radiation source according to the particle size information of the material to be sorted to obtain a radiation distance adapted to the particle size information; and controlling the movement of the detector according to the position of the radiation source to obtain a detection distance adapted to the particle size information.

[0011] In some embodiments, the detector includes a plurality of sub-detectors, and controlling the movement of the detector according to the position of the radiation source includes: controlling the movement of at least one of the plurality of sub-detectors according to the position of the radiation source to obtain a detection distance for each sub-detector adapted to the particle size information; wherein each sub-detector is adapted to the same or different detection distances with any other sub-detector for the same particle size information.

[0012] In some embodiments, the plurality of sub-detectors are arranged in an arc shape. After controlling the movement of the detectors according to the position of the radiation source, the method further includes at least one of the following: the distances between the plurality of arc-arranged sub-detectors and the radiation source are substantially equal; the distances between any two of the plurality of arc-arranged sub-detectors are substantially equal; and the detection angle of each sub-detector is substantially the same before and after the movement, wherein the detection angle of each sub-detector is adjustable.

[0013] In some embodiments, before moving at least one of the radiation source and detector, the materials to be sorted are arranged in batches, wherein the preset conditions include at least one of the following: when the particle size of the materials in the same batch is different, the difference between the particle size of the materials to be sorted irradiated at a future first moment and the particle size of the materials to be sorted irradiated at a past second moment is greater than a specific threshold, wherein the first moment and the second moment are adjacent; when the particle size of the materials in different batches is different and the particle size of the materials in the same batch is the same, the difference in particle size of the materials to be sorted in adjacent batches is greater than a specific threshold.

[0014] In some embodiments, sorting the material to be sorted based on the radiation image includes: obtaining at least one of a visible light image, a near-infrared image, and a hyperspectral image of the material to be sorted; and sorting the material to be sorted based on the image processing result of the radiation image and at least one of the visible light image, near-infrared image, and hyperspectral image of the material to be sorted.

[0015] In some embodiments, sorting the material to be sorted based on the image processing results of at least one of the radiation image and the visible light image, near-infrared image and hyperspectral image of the material to be sorted includes: fusing the radiation image and at least one of the visible light image, near-infrared image and hyperspectral image of the material to be sorted to obtain a fused image; and sorting the material to be sorted based on the material identification results based on the fused image.

[0016] In some embodiments, sorting the material to be sorted based on the image processing results of at least one of the radiation image and the visible light image, near-infrared image and hyperspectral image of the material to be sorted includes: identifying the radiation image, visible light image, near-infrared image and hyperspectral image respectively; weighting and fusing the identification results of the radiation image, visible light image, near-infrared image and hyperspectral image respectively to obtain the final identification result; and sorting the material to be sorted based on the final identification result.

[0017] In some embodiments, before weighted fusion of the recognition results of the radiation image, visible light image, near-infrared image, and hyperspectral image, the method further includes: extracting radiation features, visible light features, near-infrared features, and hyperspectral features from the radiation image, visible light image, near-infrared image, and hyperspectral image, respectively; matching the radiation features, visible light features, near-infrared features, and hyperspectral features with their respective preset feature conditions; and assigning corresponding weights based on the matching degree of the radiation features, visible light features, near-infrared features, and hyperspectral features, wherein the matching degree is positively correlated with the weight.

[0018] Another aspect of this disclosure provides a material sorting apparatus, comprising: a conveying module for conveying materials to be sorted; an X-ray source installed on a first moving component and located below the bottom of the area of ​​the conveying module for carrying the materials to be sorted; a detector installed on a second moving component and located above the top of the materials to be sorted; and a control module for controlling the first moving component to move the X-ray source and controlling the second moving component to move the detector, so as to perform the material sorting method as described above.

[0019] In some embodiments, the first moving component includes: a first guide rail connected to the radiation source for moving the radiation source closer to or away from the bottom.

[0020] In some embodiments, the second moving component includes a second guide rail connected to the detector for moving the detector closer to or away from the top.

[0021] In some embodiments, the detector includes a plurality of sub-detectors arranged in an arc, wherein each of the plurality of sub-detectors is substantially equidistant from the radiation source.

[0022] In some embodiments, the second moving component further includes: a plurality of third rails connected one-to-one with a plurality of sub-detectors; wherein each third rail is configured to move the connected sub-detector.

[0023] In some embodiments, the second moving component further includes: a plurality of rotating components, which are mounted one-to-one on the third guide rail and connected one-to-one with a plurality of sub-detectors; wherein each rotating component is used to drive the connected sub-detector to rotate in order to change the detection angle. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The foregoing contents, as well as other objects, features, and advantages of this disclosure, will become clearer from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0025] Figure 1 schematically illustrates the structure of a material sorting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 2 schematically illustrates the positions of the radiation source and detector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 3 schematically illustrates the positions of the radiation source and detector according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figure 4 schematically illustrates the structure of a detector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0029] Figure 5 schematically illustrates a flowchart of a material sorting method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Figure 6 schematically illustrates a flowchart of controlling the movement of at least one of the radiation source and detector according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0031] Figure 7 schematically illustrates a sorting flowchart according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] The reference numerals in the above figures are as follows: 100, conveying module; 210, integrated imaging camera; 220, X-ray image acquisition module; 221, X-ray source; 222, detector; 2221, sub-detector; 2222, third guide rail; 300, jetting module; 400, sorting bin; 500, control module; 600, feeder; 710, first moving component; 720, second moving component.

[0033] It should be noted that, for clarity, the dimensions of the overall / partial structure or the overall / partial region in the drawings used to describe the embodiments of this disclosure may be enlarged or reduced, i.e., these drawings are not drawn to actual scale. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that these descriptions are exemplary only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure for ease of explanation. However, it will be apparent that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known structures and techniques are omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concepts of the present disclosure.

[0035] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. The terms “comprising,” “including,” etc., as used herein indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, or components.

[0036] All terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art, unless otherwise defined. It should be noted that the terms used herein are to be interpreted in a manner consistent with the context of this specification, and not in an idealized or overly rigid way.

[0037] When using expressions such as "at least one of A, B, and C", they should generally be interpreted in accordance with the meaning that is commonly understood by a person skilled in the art (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" should include, but is not limited to, a system having A alone, a system having B alone, a system having C alone, a system having A and B, a system having A and C, a system having B and C, and / or a system having A, B, and C, etc.).

[0038] Figure 1 schematically shows a structural diagram of a material sorting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] As shown in Figure 1, the material sorting device includes a conveying module 100, a comprehensive imaging camera 210, a X-ray image acquisition module 220, a spraying module 300, a sorting bin 400, a control module 500, and a feeder 600. The feeder 600 is used to place the material to be sorted onto the conveying module 100, which in turn conveys the material. The X-ray image acquisition module 220 is used to capture X-ray images of the material to be sorted. The comprehensive imaging camera 210 is used to capture one or more images of the material to be sorted. The control module 500 is used to acquire one or more images of the material to be sorted and execute the material sorting method provided in any embodiment of this disclosure to generate a sorting instruction. The spraying module 300 is used to spray the material leaving the conveying module 100 in response to the sorting instruction from the control module 500.

[0040] For example, the conveying module 100 can be one or a combination of a horizontally arranged conveyor belt, an inclined conveyor belt, and an angled inclined slide. Hereinafter, unless otherwise stated, the conveying module 100 is a horizontally arranged conveyor belt. Materials of different types and particle sizes are distributed along the length direction (i.e., the conveying direction) and width direction on the conveying module 100. Due to the conveyor belt's certain operating speed, different materials are scattered on the conveyor belt, and when transported to the end position of the conveyor belt, the materials are thrown out of the conveyor belt in a projectile motion.

[0041] For example, the X-ray image acquisition module 220 may include an X-ray source 221 and a detector 222. For instance, the X-ray source 221 may be positioned above or below the material to be sorted, while the detector 222, opposite the X-ray source 221, may be positioned below or above the material to be sorted. The detector 222 receives the X-ray signal after it penetrates the material and converts it into a X-ray image.

[0042] Exemplarily, the blowing module 300 includes one or more nozzles, such as a plurality of nozzles arranged in an array. The blowing module 300 may also include a solenoid valve and a gas supply device, each nozzle being connected to the solenoid valve, which may be a high-frequency solenoid valve. The solenoid valve communicates with the gas supply device (not shown). The gas supply device contains compressed gas to provide a gas source for the nozzles to blow different types of materials.

[0043] In this embodiment, the blowing module 300 is located below the material movement trajectory. In this disclosure, the material movement trajectory refers to the movement trajectory of the material after it leaves the end of the conveying module 100. In this embodiment, by placing the blowing module 300 below the movement trajectory, a blowing force can be applied to the material, reducing energy consumption while improving the impact of different blowing positions on sorting accuracy. For example, when the material reaches the blowing position, the blowing module 300 can instantly spray a high-pressure airflow for a specific duration, changing the material's movement trajectory through the airflow, causing the material to fall into the corresponding sorting bin 400.

[0044] In some embodiments, the blowing pressure can also be controlled by adjusting the number of nozzles. For example, when the material area is large, a larger number of nozzles can be used to blow the material surface, and when the material area is small, a smaller number of nozzles can be used to blow the material surface, so that the blowing distance (horizontal movement distance) of materials of different volumes and weights is maintained within a certain range.

[0045] In some embodiments, during the sorting process, the control module 500 can adjust the blowing strategy in real time based on the recognition results of the radiation image and / or other category images. For example, it can increase or decrease the pressure of the nozzle to change the intensity of the airflow, thereby affecting the flight distance and direction of the material; adjust the spray angle of the nozzle so that the airflow direction is perpendicular to the tangent at a certain point of the material's flight trajectory; and adjust the start and stop times of the blowing to match the speed and position of the material passing through the nozzle.

[0046] Figure 2 schematically shows the positions of the radiation source 221 and detector 222 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 schematically shows the positions of the radiation source 221 and detector 222 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 schematically shows the structure of the detector 222 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0047] In some embodiments, the material sorting device further includes a first moving component 710 and a second moving component 720. An X-ray source 221 is mounted on the first moving component 710 and located below the bottom of the area of ​​the conveying module 100 used to carry the material to be sorted; a detector 222 is mounted on the second moving component 720 and located above the material to be sorted. The control module 500 can control the first moving component 710 to move the X-ray source 221 and control the second moving component 720 to move the detector 222.

[0048] The X-ray beam exits from a wide angle from bottom to top, penetrates the conveyor belt, and enters the material. By adjusting the radiation distance, the energy loss of the X-rays is minimized, making it easy to obtain high imaging quality. It can flexibly detect and identify materials with particle sizes from 5mm to 300mm (for example only). The X-ray imaging algorithm can include processes such as horizontal air correction, geometric correction, contour segmentation, and recognition and classification.

[0049] For example, the first moving component 710 includes a first guide rail connected to the radiation source 221 for moving the radiation source 221 closer to or away from the bottom. The first guide rail includes a track and a drive device, which drives the radiation source 221 to move up and down along the track via a transmission mechanism (such as a lead screw, belt, etc.).

[0050] For example, the second moving component 720 includes a second guide rail connected to the detector 222 for moving the detector 222 closer to or away from the bottom. The second guide rail may also include a track and a drive mechanism that drives the detector 222 up and down along the track via a transmission mechanism (such as a lead screw, belt, etc.). The first and second guide rails may be tracks that are separate from or connected to each other.

[0051] As shown in Figure 3, the detector 222 includes multiple sub-detectors 2221 arranged in an arc (e.g., an arc-shaped centripetal arrangement), wherein the distance between each of the multiple sub-detectors 2221 and the radiation source 221 is approximately equal.

[0052] In some embodiments, the second moving component 720 further includes a plurality of third guide rails 2222 connected one-to-one with a plurality of sub-detectors 2221; wherein each third guide rail 2222 is configured to move the connected sub-detector 2221.

[0053] For example, detector 222 is connected to the second guide rail via a bracket (not shown in the figure). The bracket is provided with multiple third guide rails 2222 as shown in Figure 4. The third guide rail 2222 may also include a track and a drive device, which drives the sub-detector 2221 to move along the track via a transmission mechanism (such as a lead screw, belt, etc.).

[0054] In some embodiments, the second moving component 720 further includes a plurality of rotating components. The plurality of rotating components are mounted one-to-one on the third guide rail 2222 and connected one-to-one with a plurality of sub-detectors 2221; wherein each rotating component is used to drive the connected sub-detector 2221 to rotate to change the detection angle.

[0055] Referring to Figure 4, each sub-detector 2221 is connected to the third guide rail 2222 via a rotating assembly (not shown). The driving mechanism of the third guide rail 2222 can drive the rotating assembly to move along the rail and rotate the sub-detector 2221. For example, the rotating assembly may include an internal gear and an external gear, wherein the teeth of the external gear mesh with the teeth on the inner wall of the internal gear. The rotation of the external gear can rotate the sub-detector 2221.

[0056] The material sorting method of this disclosure will be described in detail below based on the material sorting apparatus described in Figures 1 to 4.

[0057] Figure 5 schematically illustrates a flowchart of a material sorting method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0058] As shown in Figure 5, the material sorting method of this embodiment includes:

[0059] In operation S510, in response to the particle size information of the material to be sorted meeting preset conditions, at least one of the radiation source 221 and detector 222 is controlled to move to obtain a radiation distance and a detection distance that are adapted to the particle size information.

[0060] The materials to be sorted may include ores, food, beverages, or other items to be sorted on the production line. By identifying the material information of the materials to be sorted, the materials are classified into multiple types based on this information, and then sorted according to these different types. In specific classification, different classification methods may exist depending on the sorting requirements. Material types can be classified according to shape and size, density, or substance content, etc., and this disclosure is not limited in this respect. The target material can be determined by the control module 500 based on one or more parameters such as the identified material particle size and material type.

[0061] For example, taking ore beneficiation as an example, ores can be divided into metallic ores and non-metallic ores. Metallic ores include ferrous metals and non-ferrous metals, such as iron, manganese, and chromium; non-ferrous metal ores include copper, lead, zinc, aluminum, tin, molybdenum, nickel, antimony, and tungsten. Non-metallic ores include most oxygen-containing salt ores and some oxide and halide ores, such as diamond, quartz, Iceland spar, boron, tourmaline, mica, topaz, corundum, graphite, gypsum, asbestos, and fuel ores. When classifying ores, the material type is classified according to the different types of metals contained, their grade, and chemical composition. Taking ore beneficiation as an example, ores can be divided into three types based on the content of a specific metal: high-grade ore (highest content of a specific metal), medium-grade ore (medium content of a specific metal), and low-grade ore (lowest content of a specific metal).

[0062] In operation S520, the control of the radiation source 221 to send radiation rays to the material to be sorted based on the radiation distance, and the control of the detector 222 to receive the radiation ray signal based on the detection distance, thereby obtaining a radiation image;

[0063] When operating the S530, the materials to be sorted are sorted based on the radiation image.

[0064] Particle size information includes metrics describing the size of the material particles. For example, the particle size of the iron ore to be sorted may be between 5 mm and 10 mm. Preset conditions include pre-setting particle size judgment values ​​during the sorting process to trigger the movement of the radiation source 221 and detector 222. For example, when the ore particle size is less than 5 mm, at least one of the radiation source 221 and detector 222 operates in a first position. When the ore particle size is greater than 5 mm, at least one of the radiation source 221 and detector 222 operates in a second position. The first position and the second position are different. The radiation rays may include X-rays. The radiation distance refers to the distance from the target point of the radiation source 221 to the material to be sorted. The detection distance refers to the distance from the detector 222 to the material to be sorted. The radiation image may include an X-ray image converted from the radiation signal received by the detector 222.

[0065] For example, particle size, the amount of material in the radiation image, radiation distance, and detection distance can be considered comprehensively. When multiple materials to be sorted entering the radiation area of ​​radiation source 221 have large particle sizes, the amount of material that the current radiation area can accommodate can be considered. If there is a need to increase or decrease the amount of material, the radiation distance can be increased or decreased accordingly. Furthermore, the detector 222 can be moved according to the particle size of the material and the radiation distance to achieve an appropriate detection distance.

[0066] For example, the shape of the material can also be considered, and the length of the material at different incident angles (i.e., the radiation penetration distance) can be obtained by combining the shape. The movement of at least one of the radiation sources 221 or the detection angle at which the radiation signal is received by the detector 222 can be controlled.

[0067] For example, the X-ray source 221 and detector 222 can move up and down, left and right, or in any direction. Taking detector 222 as an example, a detection distance with an adapted particle size can achieve consistent X-ray attenuation over the imaging distance, resulting in better imaging consistency and thus improving the overall imaging quality. This also ensures that the differences in X-ray attenuation received by the detection module represent material differences as much as possible, thereby improving material identification capabilities.

[0068] According to embodiments of this disclosure, by adjusting the positions of the radiation source 221 and detector 222, they can be adapted to the particle size information of the material to be sorted. This allows the radiation source 221 to irradiate the material at short distances, minimizing energy loss of the radiation rays before impact and facilitating higher imaging quality. Furthermore, the detector 222 can perform short-range detection relative to the radiation source 221 or the material, further improving overall imaging quality and material identification capabilities. Additionally, the adapted radiation and detection distances can adjust the radiation and detection fields of view, ensuring a suitable amount of material is presented in the radiation image, with each material receiving sufficient radiation intensity. This facilitates obtaining richer information about each material in subsequent image analysis stages.

[0069] In some embodiments, controlling the movement of at least one of the radiation source 221 and detector 222 based on the particle size information of the material to be sorted further includes:

[0070] During the transportation of materials to be sorted, in response to changes in the particle size information of the materials to be sorted entering the radiation area of ​​the radiation source 221, the position of at least one of the radiation source 221 and the detector 222 is dynamically adjusted to obtain a radiation distance and a detection distance that are adapted to the particle size information.

[0071] For example, the particle size information of the material to be sorted can be manually input or obtained in real time through sensor detection. During the sorting process, if the particle size of the material continuously flowing through the radiation area suddenly increases, the positions of the radiation source 221 and detector 222 will be dynamically adjusted according to this change. For example, when an increase in particle size is detected, the distance between the radiation source 221 and the material is automatically reduced so that the radiation can penetrate the material and be effectively detected. For example, radiation can also be emitted when a target material reaches above the radiation source 221, or the radiation source 221 can be controlled to move to the bottom of the target material.

[0072] In some embodiments, the materials to be sorted are laid out in batches before at least one of the control radiation source 221 and detector 222 is moved. As shown in Figure 1, the materials to be sorted are laid out on the conveyor belt in batches using a feeder 600.

[0073] The preset conditions are used to determine whether the positions of the radiation source 221 and the detector 222 need to be adjusted based on changes in the particle size of the material, and include at least one of the following:

[0074] When the particle size of materials in the same batch is different, the difference between the particle size of the material to be sorted irradiated at the first time in the future and the particle size of the material to be sorted irradiated at the second time in the past is greater than a certain threshold, wherein the first time and the second time are adjacent.

[0075] Suppose that at the first moment (second t), the particle size of the material to be irradiated is detected to be 12 mm, while at the immediately preceding moment (the second moment, second t-1), the particle size of the material that has already received radiation is 9 mm. The difference in particle size between these two adjacent moments is 3 mm. If a preset threshold of 1 mm is set, the positions of the radiation source 221 and detector 222 are automatically adjusted to accommodate the change in particle size. For example, the radiation source 221 may move closer to the material to penetrate larger particles, while the detector 222 may also move closer to the material to better capture the reflected radiation signal.

[0076] When the particle size of materials in different batches is different, and the particle size of materials in the same batch is the same, the particle size difference between adjacent batches of materials to be sorted is greater than a certain threshold.

[0077] If the average particle size of the material detected in the current batch (batch A) is 30 mm, while in the previous batch (batch B) the average particle size was 20 mm, and the particle size difference between these two adjacent batches is 10 mm, and the specific threshold is 5 mm, then the positions of the X-ray source 221 and detector 222 will be automatically adjusted.

[0078] According to embodiments of this disclosure, efficient and accurate sorting can be achieved even when the particle size of the material varies. Furthermore, sorting errors caused by particle size variations can be reduced, improving the stability and reliability of the entire sorting process.

[0079] In some embodiments, controlling the movement of at least one of the radiation source 221 and detector 222 based on the particle size information of the material to be sorted in operation S510 includes at least one of the following:

[0080] Along the transmission path of the radiation rays, the radiation source 221 is controlled to move closer to or further away from the bottom of the material to be sorted, wherein the radiation source 221 is located below the material to be sorted.

[0081] Along the transmission path of the X-ray signal, the detector 222 is controlled to move closer to or further away from the top of the material to be sorted, wherein the detector 222 is located above the material to be sorted.

[0082] It is understandable that the transmission path of radiation rays and the transmission path of radiation signals can be the same or different. A radiation signal can be a signal that, after the radiation rays penetrate the material, are absorbed and attenuated by the material, and then enter the detector 222.

[0083] The X-ray source 221 is installed at the bottom of the material with the beam direction facing upward. At the same time, the detector 222 is installed above the material to receive the X-ray information that has been attenuated after penetrating the conveyor belt and the material. This allows the X-ray source 221 to be closer to the material, providing the detector 222 with more space for arrangement and movement, which is beneficial to improving the imaging quality.

[0084] Figure 6 schematically illustrates a flowchart of controlling the movement of at least one of the radiation source 221 and detector 222 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0085] As shown in Figure 6, this embodiment is one example of operating S510, including:

[0086] In operation S610, the X-ray source 221 is moved according to the particle size information of the material to be sorted to obtain a radiation distance that matches the particle size information.

[0087] In operation S620, the detector 222 is moved according to the position of the X-ray source 221 to obtain a detection distance that matches the particle size information.

[0088] For example, on a sorting line, iron ore is conveyed to a radiation area equipped with an X-ray source 221 and a detector 222. Before the iron ore enters the radiation area, a high-precision laser particle size analyzer measures the particle size of each piece of iron ore and sends the data to the control module 500 in real time. Based on the received particle size information, the control module 500 dynamically adjusts the position of the X-ray source 221 (operation S610) to ensure the radiation distance is suitable for the particle size of the material. Subsequently, based on the new position of the X-ray source 221, the position of the detector 222 is readjusted (operation S620) to ensure the detection distance is suitable for the position of the X-ray source 221. In this way, the positions of the X-ray source 221 and the detector 222 can be dynamically adjusted according to materials with different particle sizes, improving sorting accuracy and efficiency.

[0089] Dynamically adjusting the positions of the X-ray source 221 and detector 222 involves adaptively adjusting three distances based on the known material size: the distance between the X-ray source target and the material, the distance between the X-ray source target and the detector, and the distance between the detector and the material.

[0090] Assuming the top of the first guide rail is the zero point of the X-ray source 221, the position of the X-ray source 221 can be determined by the movement of the X-ray source 221. This allows for the rapid determination of the distance between the X-ray source target and the detector, which is beneficial for improving the speed of automated adjustment.

[0091] In some embodiments, detector 222 includes a plurality of sub-detectors 2221, and controlling the movement of detector 222 according to the position of radiation source 221 includes: controlling the movement of at least one of the plurality of sub-detectors 2221 according to the position of radiation source 221 to obtain a detection distance of each sub-detector 2221 adapted to the particle size information; wherein each sub-detector 2221 and any other sub-detector 2221 are adapted to the same or different detection distances for the same particle size information.

[0092] For example, multiple sub-detectors 2221 are located at different positions. The X-ray signals at different positions may originate from different materials to be sorted. Due to differences in material particle size, shape, X-ray incident direction, and sub-detector positions, different sub-detectors 2221 may have different detection distances suitable for materials of the same particle size. Therefore, by adjusting the position of each sub-detector 2221 individually to obtain a suitable detection distance, the overall imaging quality of detector 222 can be improved by adapting each sub-detector 222.

[0093] In some embodiments, the plurality of sub-detectors 2221 are arranged in an arc shape, and after controlling the movement of detector 222 according to the position of the radiation source 221, the method further includes at least one of the following:

[0094] The multiple sub-detectors 2221 arranged in an arc are approximately equidistant from the X-ray source 221. It is understood that different distances from the X-ray source 221 result in different arrival times of the X-ray signal at the sub-detectors 2221, leading to inconsistent imaging times, which reduces sorting accuracy and affects the sorting effect. Therefore, as shown in Figure 3, placing the X-ray detectors 222 above the conveyor belt allows for greater space for arrangement, meeting different requirements regarding detector structure, parameters, and types. With approximately equal distances between each sub-detector 2221 and the X-ray source 221, the consistency of imaging time can be improved, maintaining high sorting accuracy.

[0095] The distance between each pair of the multiple sub-detectors 2221 arranged in an arc is basically equal; this allows for more precise determination of the incident position of the rays, thereby improving the spatial resolution of the imaging. It also helps that the X-ray intensity received by each sub-detector 2221 is approximately the same, thereby improving detection efficiency and imaging uniformity.

[0096] The detection angle of each sub-detector 2221 is basically the same before and after movement, and the detection angle of each sub-detector 2221 is adjustable. The consistency of the detection angle helps to maintain the stability and repeatability of the detection results under the same detection parameters, and helps to improve the imaging quality.

[0097] Taking X-ray transmission of ore as an example, when X-rays penetrate the ore and irradiate the sensitive medium of the sub-detector 2221, an angle is formed between the X-rays and the normal of the receiving surface formed by the sensitive medium. This angle affects the formation of the ore image. In some embodiments, multiple sub-detectors 2221 are arranged in an arc to form an arc-shaped receiving surface. When the X-ray signal reaches the arc-shaped receiving surface, it is perpendicular to the tangent of the receiving surface of each sub-detector 2221 at the receiving point. This helps to make the X-ray signal as perpendicular as possible to the X-ray receiving surface of the sub-detector 2221, thereby avoiding affecting the formation of the ore image and ensuring the ore image quality and ore sorting effect.

[0098] The following section further explains the process of combining radiation imaging with other imaging techniques for material sorting.

[0099] Figure 7 schematically illustrates a sorting flowchart according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0100] As shown in Figure 7, this embodiment is one example of operating S530, including:

[0101] During operation S710, at least one of a visible light image, a near-infrared image, and a hyperspectral image of the material to be sorted is obtained;

[0102] In operation S720, the material to be sorted is sorted based on the image processing results of at least one of the radiation image and the visible light image, near-infrared image and hyperspectral image of the material to be sorted.

[0103] As shown in Figure 1, the integrated imaging camera 210 can perform visible light imaging, near-infrared imaging, and hyperspectral imaging. Therefore, the integrated imaging camera 210 can be used to scan and obtain corresponding images by running one or more of these imaging technologies. By combining the imaging camera with the X-ray image acquisition module 220, the advantages of each imaging technology can be utilized to acquire richer image information and improve the quality of material identification.

[0104] Image processing results can be obtained through at least one of the following:

[0105] (1) The materials have different X-ray absorption. For example, materials with high atomic numbers (such as lead, zinc, tungsten, antimony, gold, silver, etc.) are matched and selected with dual-energy X-ray imaging technology. There are obvious ore feature information in the X-ray image. The dual-energy X-ray curve algorithm is used to identify the materials. For atomic number features, a deep learning algorithm is used for identification.

[0106] (2) The materials have characteristics such as color, gloss, texture, surface roughness, and flatness. Visible light imaging technology is selected for matching, such as kaolin, phosphate rock, fluorite, quartz, calcite, potassium feldspar, wollastonite, etc. COMS sensor is used for data imaging and acquisition, and deep learning algorithm is applied for material identification.

[0107] (3) The material has reflection or absorption characteristics in the near-infrared spectrum in the wavelength range of 780 to 3000 nm. Including, near-infrared imaging technology can be matched and CMOS sensing materials can be used to obtain the corresponding spectral characteristic wavelengths and intensities to characterize the type and content of elements contained in the material.

[0108] (4) Materials with reflection or absorption spectral characteristics in the wavelength range of 400-1000, 900-1700, and 2700-5300nm, such as pyrite, pyroxene, kaolinite, and dolomite, can be matched with hyperspectral imaging technology and CMOS, InGaAs, and InSb sensing materials to characterize the types and contents of elements contained in the materials.

[0109] In some embodiments, sorting the material to be sorted based on image processing results of at least one of a radiation image and a visible light image, a near-infrared image, and a hyperspectral image of the material to be sorted includes:

[0110] A fused image is obtained by fusing at least one of the radiation image and the visible light image, near-infrared image and hyperspectral image of the material to be sorted; fusion can be performed in the feature dimension to obtain a fused image containing multi-dimensional feature information.

[0111] The materials to be sorted are sorted based on the material recognition results based on the fused images.

[0112] For example, a fixed physical distance is set between the X-ray imaging area and the integrated optical imaging area, and their sampling frequencies are set in a certain proportional relationship. Corresponding image or energy spectrum data are obtained separately. The material detection contour is segmented using an X-ray recognition algorithm. Based on the time and position correspondence between the X-ray image and the integrated optical imaging, the position of the same ore in the integrated optical imaging is mapped, completing the registration of the X-ray image and the integrated optical image. This allows for independent or combined material identification, decision-making to generate injection commands, and guidance for subsequent separation actions.

[0113] If the material is the same, the control unit combines image features based on X-rays and at least one of visible light, near-infrared, and hyperspectral images to obtain a fused image. A deep learning algorithm is then used to intelligently identify the category of the object being identified. For example, a deep learning algorithm can be used to construct and train an encoder. Training samples include samples of at least one of visible light, near-infrared, and hyperspectral images, radiation image samples, and corresponding fused image samples. By analyzing the difference between the predicted fused image output by the encoder and the fused image samples, the encoder parameters are updated using a backpropagation algorithm. The encoder can be constructed using a neural network algorithm.

[0114] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a fused image is obtained by extracting image feature values ​​using two or more imaging techniques, which can reflect richer information and improve the accuracy of the recognition results.

[0115] In some embodiments, sorting the material to be sorted based on image processing results of at least one of a radiation image and a visible light image, a near-infrared image, and a hyperspectral image of the material to be sorted includes:

[0116] Identify radiometric images, visible light images, near-infrared images, and hyperspectral images respectively;

[0117] For example, deep learning algorithms can be used to construct radiation image recognition models, visible light image recognition models, near-infrared image recognition models, and hyperspectral image recognition models, and then trained using samples of the image types targeted by each model. Alternatively, deep learning algorithms can be used to construct a comprehensive recognition model, which can be trained using radiation image samples, visible light image samples, near-infrared image samples, and hyperspectral image samples to achieve the effect of recognizing multiple types of images.

[0118] The recognition results of the radiation image, visible light image, near-infrared image and hyperspectral image are weighted and fused to obtain the final recognition result;

[0119] The recognition result for each type of image can include multiple predicted probability values ​​for various material categories. The predicted probability values ​​for the same material category can be multiplied by a weighting coefficient and then summed to obtain the final probability value. The material category with the highest final probability value is taken as the final recognition result.

[0120] The materials to be sorted are sorted based on the final identification results. A blowing strategy can be executed based on information such as the final identified category and the material's centroid.

[0121] According to embodiments of this disclosure, by recognizing various types of images one by one and comprehensively considering the recognition results using a weighted approach, it is beneficial to improve the accuracy of the final recognition result.

[0122] In some embodiments, before weighted fusion of the recognition results of the respective radiometric image, visible light image, near-infrared image, and hyperspectral image, the method further includes:

[0123] Radiometric features, visible light features, near-infrared features, and hyperspectral features are extracted from radiometric images, visible light images, near-infrared images, and hyperspectral images, respectively.

[0124] The radiation characteristics, visible light characteristics, near-infrared characteristics, and hyperspectral characteristics are respectively matched with their respective preset characteristic conditions;

[0125] Weights are assigned based on the matching degree of radiation characteristics, visible light characteristics, near-infrared characteristics, and hyperspectral characteristics, where the matching degree is positively correlated with the weight.

[0126] For example, radiation features include atomic number characteristics, visible light features include color, gloss, texture, surface roughness, and smoothness, near-infrared features include near-infrared spectral features, and hyperspectral features also include spectral features in different bands. As mentioned earlier, different imaging technologies are more suitable for different types of materials, and correspondingly, the identification accuracy will be better. Therefore, each preset feature condition is used to screen which imaging technology is more suitable for the identified material, and a higher matching degree is assigned a greater weight.

[0127] For example, the preset characteristic conditions for radiation features can include a specific atomic number value, where the radiation feature is greater than that atomic number, and its characteristic value is positively correlated with the matching degree. The preset characteristic conditions for visible light features can be determined for one or more of the following: color, gloss, texture, surface roughness, and smoothness. The preset characteristic conditions for near-infrared features can be determined based on the near-infrared spectrum, resulting in a high matching degree within the near-infrared spectral range. The preset characteristic conditions for hyperspectral features can be determined based on the hyperspectral band range, also resulting in a high matching degree within the hyperspectral band range.

[0128] According to embodiments of this disclosure, different current weights are assigned based on different feature matching degrees, allowing the selection of the most suitable imaging technology to improve recognition efficiency and accuracy. By comprehensively applying X-ray imaging, visible light imaging, near-infrared imaging, hyperspectral imaging, and various image recognition technologies, based on the material's X-ray absorption characteristics and the optical characteristics of different spectral absorption or reflection intensities, and by integrating and complementing these technologies, the range of detectable material categories can be expanded, thereby broadening the types of materials that can be identified and improving the material recognition effect.

[0129] The above-described one or more embodiments have the following beneficial effects: By adjusting the positions of the radiation source and detector, they can be adapted to the particle size information of the material to be sorted. This allows for short-range radiation of the material by the radiation source, resulting in less energy loss of the radiation rays before they hit the material, thus facilitating higher imaging quality. Furthermore, it enables short-range detection of the detector relative to the radiation source or material, further improving overall imaging quality and material identification capabilities. Additionally, by adjusting the radiation and detection distances, the radiation and detection fields can be adjusted, ensuring a moderate amount of material is presented in the radiation image, with each material receiving sufficient radiation intensity. This facilitates obtaining richer information about each material in subsequent image analysis stages.

[0130] Those skilled in the art will understand that the features described in the various embodiments of this disclosure can be combined and / or combined in various ways, even if such combinations or combinations are not explicitly described in this disclosure. In particular, the features described in the various embodiments of this disclosure can be combined and / or combined in various ways without departing from the spirit and teachings of this disclosure. All such combinations and / or combinations fall within the scope of this disclosure.

[0131] The embodiments of this disclosure have been described above. However, these embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Although various embodiments have been described above, this does not mean that the measures in the various embodiments cannot be used advantageously in combination. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. Various substitutions and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of this disclosure, and all such substitutions and modifications should fall within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A material sorting method, comprising: In response to the particle size information of the material to be sorted meeting preset conditions, at least one of the radiation source and detector is controlled to move to obtain a radiation distance and a detection distance that are adapted to the particle size information. The system controls the radiation source to send radiation rays to the material to be sorted based on the radiation distance, and controls the detector to receive the radiation signal based on the detection distance to obtain a radiation image; The materials to be sorted are sorted based on the radiation image.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The step of controlling the movement of at least one of the radiation source and the detector based on the particle size information of the material to be sorted includes at least one of the following: Along the transmission path of the radiation rays, the radiation source is controlled to move closer to or further away from the bottom of the material to be sorted, wherein the radiation source is located below the material to be sorted; Along the transmission path of the ray signal, the detector is controlled to move closer to or further away from the top of the material to be sorted, wherein the detector is located above the material to be sorted.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The step of controlling the movement of at least one of the radiation source and the detector based on the particle size information of the material to be sorted further includes: During the transportation of the material to be sorted, the position of at least one of the radiation source and the detector is dynamically adjusted in response to changes in the particle size information of the material to be sorted as it enters the radiation area of ​​the radiation source.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, The system is equipped with a conveyor belt to transport the materials to be sorted. The radiation source is located below the area of ​​the conveyor belt carrying the material to be sorted, and the detector is located above the area of ​​the conveyor belt carrying the material to be sorted.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, or 4, wherein, The step of controlling the movement of at least one of the radiation source and the detector based on the particle size information of the material to be sorted further includes: Based on the particle size information of the material to be sorted, the movement of the radiation source is controlled to obtain a radiation distance that matches the particle size information; The detector is moved according to the position of the radiation source to obtain a detection distance that matches the particle size information.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein, The detector includes multiple sub-detectors, and controlling the movement of the detector according to the position of the radiation source includes: The movement of at least one of the plurality of sub-detectors is controlled according to the position of the radiation source to obtain a detection distance for each sub-detector that is adapted to the particle size information; Each sub-detector is adapted to the same or different detection distances as any other sub-detector for the same particle size information.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein, The plurality of sub-detectors are arranged in an arc shape. After controlling the movement of the detectors according to the position of the radiation source, the method further includes at least one of the following: The distances between the multiple sub-detectors arranged in an arc and the radiation source are substantially equal; The distances between each pair of the multiple sub-detectors arranged in an arc are approximately equal; The detection angle of each sub-detector is basically the same before and after the movement, and the detection angle of each sub-detector is adjustable.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Before controlling the movement of at least one of the radiation source and the detector, the materials to be sorted are deployed in batches. The preset conditions include at least one of the following: When the particle size of materials in the same batch is different, the difference between the particle size of the material to be sorted irradiated at the first time in the future and the particle size of the material to be sorted irradiated at the second time in the past is greater than a certain threshold, wherein the first time and the second time are adjacent. When the particle size of materials in different batches is different, and the particle size of materials in the same batch is the same, the particle size difference between adjacent batches of materials to be sorted is greater than a certain threshold.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The step of sorting the material to be sorted based on the radiation image includes: Obtain at least one of the visible light image, near-infrared image, and hyperspectral image of the material to be sorted; The material to be sorted is sorted based on the image processing results of at least one of the radiation image and the visible light image, near-infrared image and hyperspectral image of the material to be sorted.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The sorting of the material to be sorted, based on the image processing results of at least one of the radiation image and the visible light image, near-infrared image, and hyperspectral image of the material to be sorted, includes: The fused image is obtained by fusing the radiation image with at least one of the visible light image, near-infrared image, and hyperspectral image of the material to be sorted; The materials to be sorted are sorted based on the material identification results based on the fused image.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein, The sorting of the material to be sorted, based on the image processing results of at least one of the radiation image and the visible light image, near-infrared image, and hyperspectral image of the material to be sorted, includes: The radiation image, the visible light image, the near-infrared image, and the hyperspectral image are identified respectively; The recognition results of the radiation image, the visible light image, the near-infrared image, and the hyperspectral image are weighted and fused to obtain the final recognition result; The materials to be sorted are sorted according to the final identification results.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, Before weighted fusion of the recognition results of the respective radiometric image, the visible light image, the near-infrared image, and the hyperspectral image, the method further includes: Radiation features, visible light features, near-infrared features, and hyperspectral features are extracted from the radiation image, the visible light image, the near-infrared image, and the hyperspectral image, respectively. The radiation characteristics, visible light characteristics, near-infrared characteristics, and hyperspectral characteristics are respectively matched with their respective preset characteristic conditions; Weights are assigned based on the matching degree of the radiation characteristics, visible light characteristics, near-infrared characteristics, and hyperspectral characteristics, wherein the matching degree is positively correlated with the weights.

13. A material sorting device, comprising: Conveying module, used to transport materials to be sorted; The X-ray source is installed on the first moving component and is located below the bottom of the area of ​​the conveying module used to carry the material to be sorted; The detector is mounted on the second moving assembly and is located on top of the material to be sorted; A control module is configured to control the first moving component to move the X-ray source and the second moving component to move the detector, so as to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein, The first moving component includes: The first guide rail is connected to the radiation source and is used to move the radiation source closer to or away from the bottom.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein, The second moving component includes: The second guide rail is connected to the detector and is used to move the detector closer to or away from the top.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13 or 15, wherein, The detector includes multiple sub-detectors arranged in an arc, wherein each of the multiple sub-detectors is approximately equidistant from the radiation source.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein, The second moving component also includes: Multiple third guide rails are connected one-to-one with the multiple sub-detectors; Each third guide rail is configured to move the connected sub-detector.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein, The second moving component also includes: Multiple rotating components are mounted one-to-one on the third guide rail and connected one-to-one with the multiple sub-detectors; Each rotating component is used to rotate the connected sub-detector to change the detection angle.

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