Systems and methods for digital monitoring of aggregate characteristics

Abstract

Systems and methods for monitoring characteristics of movement aggregate are provided in various embodiments. The system may use a combination of monitoring components, lighting sources and particulate removal components to monitor characteristics of movement aggregate during a batching process. The monitored data are useful for processing into size, shape, moisture content, temperature and other chemical characteristics of the movement aggregate, which may be used to optimize mixing techniques, performance and production efficiency.

Description

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DIGITAL MONITORING OF AGGREGATE CHARACTERISTICS CROSS-REFERENCE

[0001] This application is a non-provisional of, and claims all benefit, including priority, to U.S. provisional application No. 63 / 747,273, filed on January 20, 2025, titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DIGITAL MONITORING OF AGGREGATE CHARACTERISTICS”, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to aggregate batching for construction and infrastructure, and more specifically, relates to monitoring physical and chemical characteristics of such aggregate.BACKGROUND

[0003] Aggregate is an integral component of the construction industry which must be accurately and reliably batched to meet industry standards and specific use-cases. When producing construction materials, for example a concrete mix, multiple components are batched to arrive at a final mixture based on the desired fresh-state plastic properties when the concrete is poured and hardened mechanical properties when the concrete has set. Aggregate used within a concrete mixture can have highly variable morphological characteristics which impact these fresh and hardened properties of the concrete mix.

[0004] Sieving may be used to ascertain the physical characteristics of the aggregate, such as the grading or particle size distribution, but is a labour-intensive process that is time and space consuming, and which can only be performed with low frequency (i.e. 5 kilograms per 1,000,000, or 5 parts per million) making it prone to sampling error. Therefore, improvements in monitoring real-time physical and chemical characteristics of aggregate are desired.SUMMARY

[0005] In accordance with an aspect, there is provided a system for monitoring a stream of aggregate, the system comprising an actuator that can be activated upon receipt of a trigger signal to form a stream of aggregate along a movement path, an image sensor disposed adjacent to the movement path for capturing images of the stream of aggregate upon receipt of the trigger signal, a light source disposed adjacent to the movement path and proximate the image sensor, the light source configured to illuminate the stream of aggregate in synchrony with opening of a shutter for the image sensor, and wherein activation of the trigger signal causes the stream of aggregate to form, and the images of the stream of aggregate to be captured, as selectively illuminated by the light source.

[0006] In some embodiments, the system includes an aggregate reservoir for holding the aggregate, the aggregate reservoir having a gate that can be selectively opened via the actuator to cause the aggregate to fall along the movement path.

[0007] In some embodiments, the system includes a conveyor belt for carrying the aggregate along the movement path, and wherein the actuator activates a motor of the conveyor belt.

[0008] In some embodiments, the light source includes two panels adjacent to the image sensor, and a first panel of the two panels is disposed above the image sensor and a second panel of the two panels is disposed below the image sensor.

[0009] In some embodiments, the system includes a source of pressurized air disposed adjacent to the movement path, the source of pressurized air selectively operable to urge pressurized air towards the movement path upon receipt of the trigger signal, and wherein activation of the trigger signal causes the flow of pressurized air to be expelled thereby moving particles from the stream of aggregate.

[0010] In some embodiments, the system includes a second image sensor disposed adjacent to the movement path for capturing a second image of the stream of aggregate upon receipt of the trigger signal.

[0011] In some embodiments, the system includes a near infrared (NIR) sensor disposed adjacent to the movement path for capturing NIR data of the stream of aggregate upon receipt of the trigger signal; and wherein activation of the trigger signal causes the NIR data of the stream of falling aggregate to be captured.

[0012] In some embodiments, the system includes a computing device having at least a processor, display screen, and computer memory, and configured to store, within the computer memory, the images and the NIR data.

[0013] In a further embodiment, deactivation of the trigger signal causes the actuator to cease the stream of aggregate.

[0014] In a further embodiment, activation of the trigger signal defines a start time of a batch of aggregate and deactivation of the trigger signal defines an end of the batch of aggregate.

[0015] In a further embodiment, the batch of aggregate is assigned a unique batch identifier by the processor, and the image and the NIR data are stored in association with the batch identifier.

[0016] In a further embodiment, the unique batch identifier includes a time series identifier.

[0017] In some embodiments, the source of pressurized air is a first source of pressurized air, and the system further includes a second source of pressurized air configured to urge pressurized air towards the image sensor to clean particles therefrom.

[0018] In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a system for monitoring a stream of aggregate, the system comprising an actuator that can be activated upon receipt of a trigger signal to form a stream of aggregate along a movement path, a source of pressurized air disposed adjacent to the movement path, the source of pressurized air selectively operable to urge pressurized air towards the movement path upon receipt of the trigger signal, and an image sensor disposed adjacent to the movement path for capturing images of the stream of aggregate upon receipt of the trigger signal, wherein activation of the trigger signal causes the stream of aggregate to form, the flow of air to be expelledforces particles away from the stream of aggregate, and the images of the stream of aggregate to be captured.

[0019] In some embodiments, the system includes an aggregate reservoir for holding the aggregate, the aggregate reservoir having a gate that can be selectively opened via the actuator to cause the aggregate to fall along the movement path.

[0020] In some embodiments, the system includes a conveyor belt for carrying the aggregate along the movement path, and wherein the actuator activates a motor of the conveyor belt.

[0021] In some embodiments, the source of pressurized air is configured to urge the pressurized air in a plane perpendicular to the movement path.

[0022] In some embodiments, the system includes a near infrared (NIR) sensor disposed adjacent to the movement path for capturing NIR data of the stream of aggregate upon receipt of the trigger signal; and wherein activation of the trigger signal causes the NIR data to be captured.

[0023] In some embodiments, the system includes a light source disposed adjacent to the movement path proximate the image sensor, the light source configured to illuminate the stream of aggregate in synchrony with opening of a shutter for the image sensor.

[0024] In some embodiments, the system includes a computing device having at least a processor, display screen, and computer memory, and configured to store, within the computer memory, the images and the NIR data.

[0025] In a further embodiment, deactivation of the trigger signal causes the actuator to cease the stream of aggregate.

[0026] In a further embodiment, activation of the trigger signal defines a start time of a batch of aggregate and deactivation of the trigger signal defines an end of the batch of aggregate.

[0027] In a further embodiment, the batch of aggregate is assigned a unique batch identifier by the processor, and the image and the NIR data are stored in association with the batch identifier.

[0028] In a further embodiment, the unique batch identifier includes a time series identifier.

[0029] In some embodiments, the source of pressurized air is disposed above the image sensor.

[0030] In some embodiments, the source of pressurized air includes a nozzle oriented towards the movement path.

[0031] In some embodiments, the source of pressurized air is operable within a range of approximately 1-4 bar.

[0032] In some embodiments, the source of pressurized air is a first source of pressurized air, and the system further includes a second source of pressurized air configured to urge pressurized air towards the image sensor to clean particles therefrom.

[0033] In accordance with another aspect, there is provided a method for monitoring a stream of aggregate, the method comprising receiving an activated trigger signal, and upon receiving the activated trigger signal, activating an actuator to cause the aggregate to form a stream of aggregate along a movement path, illuminating the stream of aggregate in synchrony with opening of a shutter for an image sensor and capturing images of the stream of aggregate.

[0034] In a further embodiment, the activated trigger signal causes the urging of pressurized air towards the movement path, thereby particles are removed from the stream of aggregate.

[0035] In some embodiments, upon receiving the activated trigger signal, the actuator opens a gate to cause the aggregate to fall along the movement path.

[0036] In some embodiments, upon receiving the activated trigger signal, the actuator activates a motor of a conveyor belt to cause the aggregate to move along the movement path.

[0037] In some embodiments, upon receiving the activated trigger signal, capturing near infrared data of the stream of aggregate.

[0038] In some embodiments, upon receiving a deactivated trigger signal, deactivating the actuator to cease the stream of aggregate.

[0039] In a further embodiment, receipt of the activated trigger signal defines a start time of a batch of aggregate and receipt of the deactivated trigger signal defines an end of the batch of aggregate.

[0040] In a further embodiment, the batch of aggregate is assigned a unique batch identifier, and the captured images and the NIR data are stored in association with the batch identifier.

[0041] In a further embodiment, the unique batch identifier includes a time series identifier.

[0042] Many further features and combinations thereof concerning embodiments described herein will appear to those skilled in the art following a reading of the instant disclosure.DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0043] In the figures, embodiments are illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood that the description and figures are only for the purpose of illustration and as an aid to understanding.

[0044] Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached figures, wherein in the figures:

[0045] FIG. 1 is a high-level schematic diagram of an example system for monitoring aggregate characteristics, according to some embodiments.

[0046] FIG. 2 is a control diagram of an example system for monitoring aggregate characteristics, according to some embodiments.

[0047] FIG. 3 is a control diagram of an example system for monitoring aggregate characteristics, which shows the internal components of a controller, according to some embodiments.

[0048] FIG. 4A is a front view of an example device for monitoring aggregate characteristics, according to some embodiments.

[0049] FIG. 4B is a rear view of an example device for monitoring aggregate characteristics, according to some embodiments.

[0050] FIG. 4C is a side view of an example device for monitoring aggregate characteristics, according to some embodiments.

[0051] FIG. 5 is a process diagram of steps for segmenting and processing image data and NIR data, according to some embodiments.

[0052] FIG. 6 is a method step diagram of a method for monitoring aggregate characteristics, according to some embodiments.

[0053] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a computing device, according to some embodiments.

[0054] FIG. 8A and 8B each is an image, which show a comparison of the data capture quality of a system without (FIG. 8A) and with (FIG. 8B) usage of a synchronized light source.

[0055] FIG. 9 is a plurality of images of a stream of falling aggregate captured by an image sensor of a system for monitoring aggregate characteristics, according to some embodiments.

[0056] FIG. 10 is a photograph of an example system for monitoring aggregate characteristics, according to some embodiments.

[0057] FIG. 11 is a photograph of an example system for monitoring aggregate characteristics, according to some embodiments.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0058] Disclosed herein are embodiments of a system and method which may enable automatic, continuous, real-time, accurate and high frequency monitoring and processing of physical, morphological and chemical characteristics of falling aggregate. Such embodiments may use a combination of one or more monitoring components, such as an air source, a light source, an image sensor and an NIR sensor, to monitor characteristics of moving aggregate inline during batching which can be used for optimizing and quality control of concrete batching, mixing and crushing processes. In some embodiments, the proposed systems and methods are configured for one or more of removal of unwanted particulate, pulsed lighting and synchronized image capture to obtain image data which enables processing of individual aggregate particle characteristics within falling aggregate. In some embodiments, an NIR sensor may capture NIR data from the stream of falling aggregate which can be processed into moisture content, temperature and other chemical characteristics of the falling aggregate.

[0059] FIG. 1 shows a block schematic diagram of a system 100 for monitoring aggregate characteristics, in accordance with an embodiment. System 100 is configured to batch and capture physical and chemical data of aggregate 102, including at least one of morphology, temperature, water content, specific gravity, voids, packing density and contaminants of aggregate 102. System 100 includes an aggregate bin 104 (or other reservoir) for holding aggregate 102 and a batch scale 106 for weighing and storing aggregate 102 for further processing. As detailed herein, during operation, aggregate 102 falls from aggregate bin 104 to form a stream of aggregate 102, and is collected in a batch scale 106, located below aggregate bin 104, where it is mixed with further components (i.e. water, cement, aggregate) to form a batch of concrete.

[0060] System 100 is further configured to obtain, process, and store physical and chemical data of aggregate 102 in a memory device or cloud based computing device, where it can be accessed and analyzed by a user. The physical and chemical data ofaggregate 102, is stored with a corresponding batch identifier (ID) which may allow a user to correlate physical and chemical data of aggregate 102 with data from the mixing process (i.e. torque, speed, power, strain of mixing, temperature) including through artificial intelligence, machine learning algorithms, and / or models to improve concrete production.

[0061] Aggregate bin 104 may store aggregate 102 which is waiting to be batched into batch scale 106. Aggregate bin 104 may be located at a vertical height above batch scale 106 such that the aggregate 102, when acted upon by gravity, will form a stream of aggregate 102 beginning at aggregate bin 104 and ending once it is received by batch scale 106. Aggregate bin 104 may have a gate 110 located on the bottom of aggregate bin 104 which is capable of selectively opening and closing in order to control the stream of aggregate 102 discharged from the aggregate bin 104.

[0062] System 100 comprises a concrete batcher 108 which is a computing device configured to receive a request for a specific weight of aggregate 102 to be released from aggregate bin 104.

[0063] Upon receiving the request for a specific weight of aggregate 102, concrete batcher 108 is configured to generate a trigger signal 109 for activating the components of system 100 to begin batching and monitoring aggregate 102. Trigger signal 109 may be an electrical signal (AC or DC) or compressed air which activates the actuator 112 to discharge aggregate 102 from the aggregate bin 104. Trigger signal 109 may be an AC signal which is controllable by concrete batcher 108 to be in an active state (i.e. ON) and a de-active state (i.e. OFF). When trigger signal 109 is in a de-active state, actuator 112 remains in an idle position and gate 110 remains closed. When trigger signal 109 is in an active state, actuator 112 manipulates gate 110 to transition to the open position, thereby permitting aggregate 102 to discharge from the aggregate bin 104. The falling aggregate 102 forms a stream of aggregate 102 in response to actuator 112 opening gate 110, and begins falling into batch scale 106. By generating the stream of aggregate 102, improved monitoring of the aggregate 102 shape and morphological characteristics may be achieved as falling aggregate 102 may rotate as it falls, thereby providing multiple angles and faces of each aggregate 102 particle which can be captured by sensors. In some embodiments, gate 110 may be a clamshell gate.

[0064] Certain embodiments of the disclosed system can be integrated into the existing batching process at aggregate facilities, reducing the cost and complexity of installation. As aggregate bin 104, gate 110, actuator 112 and batch scale 106 may be standard components within an aggregate facility, system 100 can be mounted to existing infrastructure within the batching infrastructure and integrated into the existing workflow. Therefore, system 100 may reduce installation costs, burden and complexity, as it can be integrated into existing workflows without the need to install additional components to manipulate aggregate 102 such as conveyor belts, actuators, gates, etc.

[0065] Further, by integrating system 100 at the section of the workflow where the aggregate 102 is falling into batch scale 106, the monitoring components of system 100 may capture random orientations of aggregate 102 due to the rotation of aggregate 102 as it falls into batch scale 106. By capturing randomized orientations of a batch of aggregate 102, the bias of the sensor data is reduced, and a more extensive and accurate set of geometric and morphological parameters may be generated for a batch of aggregate 102.

[0066] For example, 2D sensor data of aggregate 102 can be used to determine additional 2D and 3D geometric parameters of aggregate 102 as a result of the plurality of random orientations which are captured of the aggregate 102 in the 2D sensor data. Therefore, by capturing images of falling aggregate 102, system 100 may have a technical benefit over alternative approaches which monitor aggregate 102 along a conveyor belt, as the sensor data captured by system 100 may have a reduced bias and may generate improved segmentation and analysis of geometric and morphological parameters, due to the increased randomness in the orientation of the falling aggregate 102.

[0067] In some embodiments, batch scale 106 may be fed by a conveyor belt. In some embodiments, when batch scale 106 is fed by the conveyor belt, a driver controlling the conveyor belt may control the stream of aggregate 102 discharged into batch scale 106. In some embodiments, trigger signal 109 may actuate the driver mechanism for the conveyor belt which transports a stream of aggregate 102 into batch scale 106. In some embodiments, the conveyor belt may have a belt path that is either at an incline, decline or be flat relative to the ground. When using the conveyor belt to control the stream of aggregate 102, it may be possible to remove gate 110 and aggregate bin 104 from system 100, and instead use thedriver mechanism of the conveyor belt to control batching. The conveyor belt can be activated by the driver which receives trigger signal 109 from concrete batcher 108. Once activated, the conveyor belt may transport the stream of aggregate 102 into the field of view of the monitoring sensors. For example, in some embodiments, aggregate 102 may be retrieved from a deposit by the conveyor belt and moved along the belt path to a point above batch scale 106, at which point aggregate 102 may fall from the conveyor belt into batch scale 106. In another example, aggregate 102 may be retrieved from a deposit by the conveyor belt and moved by the belt path along the field of view of the monitoring components of system 100, after which aggregate 102 is deposited into batch scale 106. When concrete batcher 108 has fulfilled the request for the weight of aggregate 102, the driver of the conveyor belt can deactivate and the aggregate 102 will stop being fed into batch scale 106.

[0068] In some embodiments, actuator 112 may comprise a solenoid valve which controls the flow of a working fluid, such as pressurized air or hydraulic fluid. When actuator 112 is activated by trigger signal 109 (i.e. trigger signal 109 is in an active state), the solenoid valve may permit the flow of working fluid to influence gate 110 into an open state. Once trigger signal 109 returns to a de-active state, the solenoid valve in actuator 112 may restrict the flow of the working fluid, thereby causing gate 110 to return to its idle position and restrict aggregate 102 from falling into batch scale 106.

[0069] According to some embodiments, trigger signal 109 may further activate valve 116 which controls a flow of pressurized air which can be expelled from air source 114. Valve 116 is physically coupled to compressor 115 and is in a normally closed state such that it restrains the pressurized air stored in compressor 115 from being expelled from air source 114 until trigger signal 109 is in an active state. In some embodiments, the pressurized air stored in compressor 115 is used by both air source 114 and actuator 112.

[0070] When valve 116 is activated by trigger signal 109, valve 116 enters an open state and permits pressurized air from compressor 115 to be released to air source 114. Valve 116 may be a solenoid valve which restricts the flow of pressurized air when trigger signal 109 is in a de-active state, and permits the flow of pressurized air stored in compressor 115 so long as the trigger signal is in an active state. In some embodiments, valve 116 isconfigured to form the flow of pressurized air into a thin sheet which is directed towards the stream of falling aggregate 102. The pressurized air expelled from air source 114 may displace the fine particulate matter within the stream of falling aggregate 102 to provide a clearer field of view of aggregate 102 for monitoring. For example, when aggregate 102 contains substantial amounts of fine particulate matter, air source 114 may expel the fine particulate to improve the clarity of images of aggregate 102 captured by image sensor 120 (discussed below). Fine particulate within a sample of aggregate 102 may be especially prevalent during batching when aggregate 102 is dry (low moisture content), and, for example, aggregate 102 was not sufficiently washed prior to batching and / or has been contaminated prior to batching. Therefore, when system 100 is batching a sample of aggregate 102 that has a low moisture content, air source 114 of system 100 may be used.

[0071] In some embodiments, air source 114 may be a nozzle which is oriented towards the stream of falling aggregate 102. In some embodiments, the pressurized air may be provided at a pressure of 1-4 bar. In a further embodiment, air source 114 is a nozzle which is shaped as a horizontal slit having an opening of about 40-60 microns, and is positioned within 300-500 mm from the stream of falling aggregate 102. In some embodiments, air source 114 may be positioned between 300-500mm from the stream of falling aggregate 102. In some embodiments, a multi-stage air dryer, filter and oil separator are positioned between compressor 115 and air source 114 to purify the compressed air before it is expelled from air source 114.

[0072] Trigger signal 109 is further outputted to controller 118, which is configured to control image sensor 120 and light source 124 of system 100. Controller 118 is communicatively coupled to image sensor 120 and light source 124 for bi-directional communication. In some embodiments, controller 118 may be coupled to image sensor 120 and light source 124 through one or more electrical connections which transmit AC or DC signals. In some embodiments, controller 118 may be coupled to image sensor 120 and light source 124 through a wireless network, and controller 118, image sensor 120 and light source 124 may contain wireless transceivers for receiving and transmitting wireless signals.

[0073] Controller 118, based on trigger signal 109, may be further configured to control additional monitoring components within system 100. Additional monitoring components mayinclude, but are not limited to, a near infrared (NIR) sensor 122. In some embodiments, controller 118 may be coupled to near infrared (NIR) sensor 122 through an electrical connection which transmits AC or DC signals. In some embodiments, controller 118 may be coupled to NIR sensor 122 through a wireless network, and controller 118 and NIR sensor 122 may contain a wireless transceiver for receiving and transmitting wireless signals.

[0074] In some embodiments, controller 118 is configured to receive trigger signal 109 and generate a plurality of sub-signals for one or more of monitoring components 120, 122, 124. For example, trigger signal 109, which is sent in response to concrete batcher 108 receiving a batching request, is transmitted as an electrical signal to controller 118. Controller 118 may be configured with an terminal block which is capable of splitting trigger signal 109 into multiple sub-signals. When trigger signal 109 is in an active state, controller 118 is configured to output one or more of sub-signals 121, 123, 125 to one or more of monitoring components 120, 122, 124 of system 100. In some embodiments, sub-signals 121, 123, 125 are analog signals, which are controllable by controller 118 to transition between a de-active state (i.e. OFF) and an active state (i.e. ON). In some embodiments, sub-signals 121, 123, 125 are digital signals which are controllable by controller 118 to either be in a de-active state (i.e. OFF) or an active state (i.e. ON). So long as the trigger signal 109 remains in an active state, controller 118 will continuously transmit one or more of sub-signals 121, 123, 125 to one or more of monitoring components 120, 122, 124 of system 100. In response to trigger signal 109 returning to a de-active state, controller 118 will stop transmitting subsignals 121, 123 and 125 to monitoring components 120, 122, 124 of system 100. Therefore, according to this embodiment, trigger signal 109 may be simultaneously used to directly actuate gate 110 and air source 114, and, indirectly actuate, through controller 118, monitoring components 120, 122, 124.

[0075] In some embodiments, one or more of trigger signal 109 and sub-signals 121, 123, 125 are wireless signals which are communicated over a wireless network. One or more of controller 109, image sensor 120, NIR sensor 122, light sensor 124, air source 114, actuator 112 and valve 116 may be configured to receive and / or transmit wireless signal 109 or subsignals 121, 123, 125 through a wireless transceiver.

[0076] Image sensor 120 is disposed adjacent to the stream of falling aggregate and is configured to capture image data of the stream of falling aggregate 102 as it falls into batch scale 106. In some embodiments, image sensor 120 may capture image data comprising still images or video of the falling aggregate 102 which can be used to analyze the physical characteristics, such as morphology, of falling aggregate 102. In some embodiments, where system 100 contains air source 114, image sensor 120 may be located proximate to air source 114 such that image sensor 120 benefits from the reduction of particulate from the field of view achieved by the pressurized air expelled by air source 114. Image sensor 120 is configured to receive image signal 121 from controller 118 and begin capturing image data in response to image signal 121 being in an active state (e.g. 4-20mA, in some embodiments). In some embodiments, image sensor 120 may be a digital camera which, in response to image signal 121 being in an active state, captures image data at a framerate of 10-25 frames per second.

[0077] Light source 124 is disposed adjacent to the stream of falling aggregate and proximate to image sensor 120. Light source 124 is configured to direct light towards the stream of falling aggregate 102 in order to illuminate the stream of falling aggregate 102. By illuminating the aggregate 102, light source 124 improves the lighting conditions for image sensor 120 and therefore may increase the quality and clarity of the captured image data. Light source 124 is communicatively coupled to controller 118 and is configured to receive a light signal 125 from controller 118 which controls the activation of light source 124. Light signal 125 may be an electrical signal which, when in an active state (i.e. 4-20mA), activates the light source 124 through a timing mechanism housed within controller 118. When light source 124 is activated by light signal 125, light source 124 illuminates the stream of falling aggregate with visible light. In some embodiments, light source 124 is configured to provide, when activated by light signal 125, light within an illuminance range of 1000-5000 lumens per square meter to illuminate the stream of falling aggregate 102. In some embodiments, light source 124 may be configured as an LED which can be overdriven (e.g. operate approximately at the LED’s maximum current) to maximize the illuminance of light source 124. For example, in a primary embodiment, a pulsing light provided by an overdriven LED light source 124 may maximize illuminance and reduce the motion blur of the images of falling aggregate 102 captured by image sensor 120. Due to light source 124 being pulsed(i.e., strobing), as opposed to providing illuminance for extended durations, it may be possible to overdrive light source 124 as the pulsing reduces the wear, heat and loss of performance which can be encountered when overdriving electrical components. The increase in illuminance provided by overdriving light source 124 may result in reduced gain (i.e. amplification of the signal from the sensor) being required by image sensor 120 due to the increased light which can be captured by the image sensor 120. As increasing gain within image sensor 120 may result in an amplification of signal and noise captured by the image sensor 120, thereby leading to a corresponding increase in noise in the image data, by providing an increased illuminance from overdriving light source 124, an increased image quality (with reduced noise) of the aggregate 102 may be captured as the gain of image sensor 120 can be minimized.

[0078] Further, light source 124 and image sensor 120 may be synchronized through a timing mechanism such that light source 124 produces pulsed light which is synchronized with the frame rate of the image sensor 120 (e.g. 10-25 frames per second). The resolution of image sensor 120 may therefore be approximately 2 - 8 MP. In a further embodiment, light source 124 is synchronized with image sensor 120, but an offset is implemented such that light source 124 begins providing illumination immediately prior to when image sensor 120 captures image data, and stops providing illumination immediately after image sensor 120 has captured image data. In some embodiments, light source 124 may be a stroboscopic light configured to provide rapid and adjustable lighting. The flash rate of light source 124 may be controlled to be synchronous or asynchronous with the frame rate of image sensor 120.

[0079] For example, the pulsing effect of light source 124 can be synchronized with image sensor 120 in order to illuminate the stream of falling aggregate 102 when image data is captured by image sensor 120. In some embodiments, the pulsing effect of light source 124 may be timed to provide illumination of the stream of falling aggregate 102 immediately prior and after the image sensor 120 captures image data, thereby providing sufficient time for the stream of falling aggregate 102 to be fully illuminated by the light source 120 when the image data is captured.

[0080] In some embodiments, light source 124 may be disposed above or below image sensor 120. In another embodiment, light source 124 may be comprised of two distinct panels, which are shaped to circumscribe image sensor 120, to provide full coverage of the field of view of image sensor 120, such that shadowing caused by overlapping aggregate 102 particles may be reduced. For example, light source 124 may have two panels, with a first panel disposed above image sensor 120, and a second panel disposed below image sensor 120, and both the first and second panels of light source 124 may have a cutout which allows image sensor 120 to protrude between the panels, this configuration is explained further in FIGs. 4A-4C.

[0081] In some embodiments, NIR sensor 122 is disposed adjacent to the stream of falling aggregate 102 and captures NIR data of the stream of falling aggregate 102 as it falls into the batch scale 106. In some embodiments, the NIR sensor 122 may capture NIR data comprising absorption and scattering of NIR wavelength light off of the aggregate 102. The absorption and scattering of NIR wavelength light captured by the NIR sensor 122 may be processed into temperature and moisture characteristics corresponding to the aggregate 102. In some embodiments, NIR sensor 122 may capture further data on physical and chemical characteristics, crystal structure, and color of the stream of falling aggregate 102 to characterize morphology and mineral type of aggregates.

[0082] In some embodiments, NIR sensor 122 is located below or above the image sensor 120. In some embodiments, NIR sensor 122 is located axially offset from the image sensor 120 such that NIR sensor 122 and image sensor 120 capture separate angles of the stream of falling aggregate 102, this embodiment can be seen in FIGs. 4A-4C.

[0083] NIR sensor 122 is configured to receive NIR signal 123 from controller 118 and to begin capturing NIR data in response to NIR signal 123 being in an active state (i.e. 4-20mA). When NIR sensor 122 is activated by NIR signal 123 being in an active state, NIR sensor 122 generates a broad spectrum light directed towards the stream of falling aggregate 102, and captures the absorption and scattering of the distinct wavelengths in the broad spectrum light. In some embodiments, the broad spectrum light covers a wavelength of 780-2500 nm.

[0084] In some embodiments, NIR sensor 122 contains an NIR light source component and an NIR sensing component, in which the NIR light source component directs broad spectrum light (e.g., wavelength of 780-2500 nm) towards the falling aggregate 102, and the NIR sensing component captures the broad spectrum light which is reflected back to the NIR sensor 122.

[0085] As the stream of falling aggregate 102 is received into batch scale 106, batch scale 106 continuously transmits weight data 126 to concrete batcher 108. Weight data 126 is processed by concrete batcher 108 into the amount of aggregate 102, by weight, that has been received by batch scale 106. In some embodiments, when concrete batcher 108 receives the request for the specific weight of aggregate 102, batch scale 106 may transmit weight data 126 to concrete batcher 108 such that any aggregate 102 which has been previously received by batch scale 106 is accounted for when fulfilling the request for the specific weight of aggregate 102. Once the weight of aggregate 102, represented by weight data 126, reaches a desired weight corresponding to the initial request received by concrete batcher 108, trigger signal 109 is returned to a de-active state which deactivates the actuator 112. In response to the deactivation of actuator 112, gate 110 is returned to a closed position and the stream of falling aggregate 102 is stopped. Aggregate 102 received by batch scale 106 between the period starting at trigger signal 109 entering an active state (ON) and ending at trigger signal 109 returning to a de-active state (OFF) corresponds to a batch of aggregate 102.

[0086] Since air source 114 may be controlled directly by trigger signal 109, when trigger signal 109 returns to a de-active state in response to weight data 126 reaching a desired weight value, valve 116 will be deactivated and thereby restrict the flow of pressurized air from being expelled from air source 114.

[0087] Further, when trigger signal 109 returns to a de-active state in response to weight data 126 reaching a desired weight value, controller 118 will stop outputting image signal 121, NIR signal 123 and light signal 125, thereby deactivating image sensor 120, NIR sensor 122 and light source 124.

[0088] The image data captured by image sensor 120 and the NIR data captured by NIR sensor 122 for the batch of aggregate 102 is transmitted to controller 118 for processing and storage. In some embodiments, one or more of image data, NIR data and the processed data for the batch of aggregate 102 is labeled with a batch ID which is used to identify which batch of aggregate 102 the image data and NIR data are associated with.

[0089] In a primary embodiment, system 100 may comprise image sensor 120 and light source 124, and NIR sensor 122 and air source 114 can be optional components which can be implemented within system 100 as needed based on operational requirements. In some embodiments, air source 114 and valve 116 may be absent from system 100, such that trigger signal 109 solely activates actuator 112, image sensor 120, NIR sensor 122 and light source 124. For example, these configurations of system 100 may be implemented when aggregate 102 being monitored is sufficiently large that particulate is either negligible or is not expected to interfere with the capture of image and NIR data.

[0090] In some embodiments, system 100 may comprise at least two of monitoring components 120, 122, 124. For example, system 100 may solely comprise both NIR sensor 122 and image sensor 120. In another example, system 100 may comprise NIR sensor 122, image sensor 120 and light source 124. In some embodiments, light source 124 may either be absent from system 100, or may remain inactive in response to trigger signal 109 being in an active state (i.e. controller 118 does not output light signal 125), such as when ambient lighting is sufficient for image sensor 124 to obtain high quality image data. For example, if system 100 is located in an outdoor environment and is being operated under ideal daylight conditions.

[0091] FIG. 2 shows a control diagram 200 of the system 100 for monitoring aggregate characteristics, in accordance with an embodiment. System 100 may be configured to process and store raw image data 202 and NIR data 204 within a computer memory 212. In some embodiments, once the raw image data 202 and NIR data 204 is processed, the processed data 208 is stored within memory 212 under a batch ID which corresponds to the batch of aggregate 102 which was captured by the underlying raw image data 202 and NIR data 204. The stored processed data 208 can be displayed through a web based or localportal 216 to a user, and used for downstream crushing, batching, and mixing operations for the batch of aggregate 102.

[0092] As discussed above, when a request for a batch of aggregate 102 is received by concrete batcher 108, trigger signal 109 is output by concrete batcher 108 to activate actuator 112 to open gate 110 in order to permit aggregate 102 to fall from aggregate bin 104 into batch scale 106. The trigger signal 109 may further activate air source 114 to expel pressurized air to remove particulate from the stream of falling aggregate 102. Lastly, trigger signal 109 may be received by controller 118 and cause controller 118 to output image signal 121, NIR signal 123 and light signal 125, to activate image sensor 120, NIR sensor 122 and light source 124, respectively. When image sensor 120 and NIR sensor 122 are activated by image signal 121 and NIR signal 123, image data 202 and NIR data 204 of the stream of falling aggregate 102 are captured by the image sensor 120 and NIR sensor 122. Raw image data 202 and NIR data 204 is continuously communicated to the controller 118 for processing for the duration that the image sensor 120 and NIR sensor 122 are activated. In some embodiments, NIR data 204 is communicated to controller 118 as an analog signal.

[0093] The stream of falling aggregate 102 is received by batch scale 106. The batch scale 106 is configured to weigh the aggregate 102 which is received from the aggregate bin 104 and output weight data 126 to concrete batcher 108. Weight data 126 may be an encoded signal which is transmitted to concrete batcher 108 and processed into a weight value. Once the weight value, determined by processing the weight data 126 received from batch scale 106, reaches a desired weight of aggregate 102, the concrete batcher 108 may control the output of trigger signal 109 to deactivate the actuator 112, thereby causing the gate 110 to close and ending the stream of falling aggregate 102. Concrete batcher 108 may further control the output of trigger signal 109 to deactivate the air source 114, image sensor 120, NIR sensor 122 and light source 124.

[0094] The batch of aggregate 102 collected by batch scale 106 over the duration of time beginning from activation of trigger signal 109 and ending at deactivation of trigger signal 109 is given a batch ID by controller 118. Batch ID is used to label the downstream processed data 208. Processed data 208 is generated by processing raw image data 202 and NIR data 204 captured during the collection of the batch of aggregate 102 by the batchscale 106. By labelling the data associated with the batch of aggregate 102 with a batch ID, the processed data 208 can be connected with additional batching data associated with aggregate 102, such as proportioning of water, cement, admixture chemicals, and other aggregate materials, and mixing parameters which are required, for example, to produce a final concrete mix.

[0095] In some embodiments, controller 118 comprises both a central processing unit (CPU) and a graphical processing unit (GPU) which interoperate to support the processing of the raw image data 202 into processed data 208. Controller 118 is configured to process raw image data 202 and NIR data 204 in real time to allow processed data 208 to be analyzed synchronously with the batching of aggregate 102. Controller 118 may be configured to perform a combination of segmentation and analysis of raw image data 202 and NIR data 204 in order to generate processed data 208 which can be used for optimizing downstream steps in the concrete production process. In some embodiments, controller 118 may contain an instance segmentation model for segmenting raw image data 202 into discrete particles for morphological characterization. In some embodiments, controller 118 is configured to process the segmented data by filtering the raw segmented data and performing particle size and shape analysis on the filtered segmented data, to generate processed data 208 based on the analysis. In some embodiments, processed data 208 includes analysis results, statistical summaries and time series evaluations of morphological parameters, and other physical and chemical characteristics of batch of aggregate 102, which can be used for monitoring and optimizing upstream and downstream processes. In some embodiments, controller 118 is configured to perform surface water content and temperature analysis by processing the light absorption and scatter measurements captured by NIR sensor 122 in NIR data 204.

[0096] In some embodiments, controller 118 is configured to store an AI / ML optimization model which utilizes raw image data 202, NIR data 204 and processed data 208 to predict concrete performance outcomes and allow for inter and intra batch changes to materials proportioned for a batch.

[0097] Processed data 208 generated by controller 118 is output to both concrete batcher 108 and a memory storage 212. In some embodiments, memory storage 212 may be eithera tangible memory storage device or a cloud database. In some embodiments, memory storage 212 may include a suitable combination of local storage and / or cloud storage.

[0098] When processed data 208 is stored within memory storage 212, it is associated with the batch ID generated by the controller 118. In some embodiments, when memory storage 212 includes a cloud database, controller 118 is connected to an internet connection 210 in order to communicate with memory storage 212 through a cloud management service.

[0099] Analysis portal 216 is configured to receive processed data 208 from memory storage 212. Analysis portal 216 may receive processed data 208 through an internet connection 214, such as when memory storage 212 is a cloud database. Analysis portal 216 may receive processed data 208 through a physical medium, for example, a wired connection, such as when analysis portal 216 is located in a proximate location to memory storage 212 (i.e. , on site).

[0100] In some embodiments, analysis portal 216 receives processed data 208 synchronously as it is processed to allow a user to view the aggregated analysis results, statistical summaries and time series evaluations of morphological parameters, temperature, moisture content, and other chemical and physical characteristics of the batch of aggregate 102. In a further embodiment, analysis portal 216 may be configured to transmit processed data 208 to a third party platform through internet connection 214. In some embodiments, the third party platform may be a mix optimization platform for performing further analysis on processed data 208. In some embodiments, the third party platform may be a quality control software for assessing the quality of processed data 208 or an internal database for further storing and dissemination of processed data 208.

[0101] In some embodiments, one or more of the computing components 108, 208, 212 and 216 may be combined into a single computing device or cloud server. For example, in some embodiments, controller 118 and concrete batcher 108 may be integrated into a single computing device comprising one or more processors and storage devices. In another embodiment, memory storage 212 and analysis portal 216 may be integrated into a single cloud server which can be accessed through a cloud management server, enablingprocessed data 208 to be accessible to a user regardless of their location. It would be understood that any combination of computing components 108, 208, 212 and 216 is possible, and the above description is not meant to be limiting.

[0102] FIG. 3 shows a control diagram 300 of system 100 for monitoring aggregate characteristics, which shows the internal components of controller 118, in accordance with an embodiment. Controller 118 may be configured to receive trigger signal 109 through an analog circuit 301 within controller 118. Trigger signal 109 may be an AC signal which can transition between a de-active state and an active state. When trigger signal 109 is in a deactive state, analog circuit 301 , the output from analog circuit 301 remains low, and image sensor 120, NIR sensor 122 and light source 124 remain deactivated. When trigger signal 109 is in an active state, in response to concrete batcher 108 receiving a request for a batch of aggregate 102, analog circuit 301 splits the trigger signal 109 and a plurality of component sub-signals transition to an active state, including one or more of image signal 121, NIR signal 123 and light signal 125.

[0103] In some embodiments, NIR signal 123 may be transmitted through moisture sensor control (MSC) 304, which is configured to convert the reference response NIR signal 123 received from analog circuit 301 into a surface moisture content estimate based on a previously established calibration curve or function. MSC 304 may be configured to control the wavelength of light and frequency of data capture of NIR sensor 122. In some embodiments, NIR sensor 122 may be controlled by MSC 304 to have a sampling frequency between approximately 1 reading per 0.1 seconds to 1 reading per 10 minutes. MSC 304 may be further configured to receive NIR data 204 and transmit NIR data 204 to i / o subcontroller 302. NIR data 204 may be an analog signal which is converted into a digital format within i / o subcontroller 302.

[0104] In some embodiments, light signal 125 may be transmitted through light subcontroller 306. Light subcontroller 306 is configured to control the pulse effect of light source 124 to synchronize the illumination with the image capture of image sensor 120. In some embodiments, light subcontroller 306 may be configured to overdrive light source 124 to maximize illuminance of aggregate 102. Light subcontroller 306 may be electrically coupled with a timing mechanism which synchronizes the illumination of light source 124with the frame rate of image sensor 120. Light subcontroller 306 may be configured to activate light source 124 immediately prior to when image sensor 120 captures image data 202, and to deactivate light source 124 immediately after the image sensor 120 has finished capturing image data 202.

[0105] Image sensor 120 may be coupled to a timing mechanism which controls a frame rate of image sensor 120. The timing mechanism may comprise a set of instructions stored within i / o subcontroller 302 which controls the frequency of image signal 121 that activates image sensor 120. For example, i / o subcontroller 302 may be activated in response to trigger signal 109 being in an active state, and execute instructions which activate image sensor 120 and light source 124 at synchronous frequencies. In some embodiments, image sensor 120 may have a frame rate of 10-25 frames per second. Once the image sensor 120 has captured image data 202, image data 202 is transmitted to i / o subcontroller 302 for segmentation and processing by controller 118. i / o subcontroller 302 may be a microcontroller configured to collect image data 202 and NIR data 204 for downstream segmentation and processing by controller 118.

[0106] In some embodiments, valve 116 may be connected to both air source 114 and lens nozzle 310. When trigger signal transitions to an active state, valve 116 opens and releases the pressurized air stored within compressor 115. The pressurized air is expelled by air source 114 to remove particulate from the stream of falling aggregate 102. The pressurized air released by valve 116 may also flow to lens nozzle 310 which expels pressurized air on to, or directly adjacent to, the lens of image sensor 120 to protect against particulate building up on the surface of image sensor 120 and impacting the clarity of image data 202. When trigger signal 109 transitions back to a de-active state, valve 116 returns to its normally closed state and restricts the flow of pressurized air from compressor 115. In some embodiments, similar to air source 114, when valve 116 is open, lens nozzle 310 is continuously expelling pressurized air onto the surface of image sensor 120. In another embodiment, when valve 116 is open, lens nozzle 310 may contain a timing mechanism which periodically releases a burst of pressurized air onto the surface of image sensor 120.

[0107] In some embodiments, second valve 308 may be directly coupled to compressor 115. When trigger signal 109 transitions to an active state, second valve 308 is activated andbegins transitioning between an open and closed position on a periodic basis based on an internal timing mechanism. Therefore, when activated by trigger signal 109, second valve 308 operates under a time control which releases bursts of pressurized air to clean particulate from the surface of NIR sensor 122. When trigger signal 109 returns to a deactive state, second valve 308 closes and restricts pressurized air from flowing to the surface of the NIR sensor 122.

[0108] In some embodiments, controller 118 may contain LED indicators which can provide visual confirmation to a user when the controller 118 is ON (i.e. receiving external power) and / or when the trigger signal 109 is in an active state.

[0109] FIGs. 4A-4C show a front, rear and side view, respectively, of a device 400 for monitoring aggregate characteristics, exemplary of some embodiments. Device 400 contains an image sensor 120, an air source 112, an NIR sensor 122 and a light source 124. The monitoring components 120, 122 and 124 may all be mounted to a frame 402 which retains the monitoring components 120, 122 and 124 in a static position while they capture aggregate data. Device 400 may be located adjacent to a stream of falling aggregate 102, and can be moved by a user to a position which is a desired distance from the aggregate 102, for example, 300-500mm.

[0110] As can be seen in FIGs. 4A-4C, device 400 has an NIR sensor 122 disposed to the side of the centerline of device 400. In another embodiment, NIR sensor 122 may be located along the centerline of device 400, and the positioning of NIR sensor 122 as seen in device 400 is not intended to limit the potential placement of NIR sensor 122.

[0111] Air source 112 is positioned above the light source 124 and image sensor 120, along the centerline of the device 400. It may be desirable to position air source 112 proximal to the image sensor 120 and NIR sensor 122, as seen in FIGs. 4A-4C, as it may provide the greatest level of particulate removal for the field of view of the two sensors 120 and 122. In some embodiments, air source 112 may be positioned below or to the side of NIR sensor 122 and image sensor 120, and can be angled towards the field of view of the sensors 120, 122.

[0112] In some embodiments, the air source 114 may be a nozzle which is shaped as a horizontal slit having an opening of about 40-60 microns. In some embodiments, the nozzle may be positioned within 300-500 mm from the stream of falling aggregate 102. The image sensor 120 may be positioned to be inline with the air source 112, such that both the image sensor 120 and air source 112 are the same distance from the stream of falling aggregate 102.

[0113] Image sensor 120 is positioned between two panels of light source 124, such that light source 124 encloses image sensor 120. This may be desirable to achieve optimal lighting of the aggregate 102 for image capture in low ambient light conditions. Light source 124 may include two panels 124A and 124B. Panel 124B may have a cutout for the lens of image sensor 120. Panels 124A and 124B are coupled along their bottom and top edge, respectively, and both generate pulsed lighting in sync. In some embodiments, panels 124A and 124B have separate wiring points and receive synchronized but separate signals from light subcontroller 306. In another embodiment, panels 124A and 124B share wiring and receive a single light signal 125 from light subcontroller 306.

[0114] The usage of panels 124A and 124B in FIGs. 4A-4C should not be understood as limiting the shape and type of lighting that can be used for light source 124. For example, light source 124 may be shaped as one or more bar(s), one or more ring light(s), or the like.

[0115] In some embodiments, panels 124A and 124B may both have a cutout such that image sensor 120 is positioned along the coupling line of the panels 124A and 124B. In some embodiments, only one of panel 124A and 124B is present. In some embodiments, light source 124 is a single panel which fully surrounds image sensor 120.

[0116] FIG. 5 shows a process diagram of a process 500 for processing image data 202 and NIR data 204, in accordance with an embodiment. Controller 118 may be configured to perform process 500 to obtain processed data 208 from image data 202 and NIR data 204. The controller 118 begins process 500 by receiving (502, 510) raw image data 202 and NIR data 204 from image sensor 120 and NIR sensor 122. The controller 118 generates a batch ID (501) which is used to label raw image data 202 and NIR data 204. Batch ID is associated with the batch of aggregate 102 characterized by image data 202 and NIR data 204, and willallow processed data 208 to be used in optimizing the downstream processes for the specific batch of aggregate 102 which has the same batch ID.

[0117] Segmenting (503) comprises segmenting raw image data 202 into segmentation masks. Image data 202 is converted into RGB color representation and processed by a segmentation model. In some embodiments, a segmentation model is used to generate the mask of the particles from raw image data. Segmentation 503 may generate segmentation masks based on weighted parameters including, but not limited to, number of points sampled along one side of the image, number of points processed simultaneously, intersection over union threshold for filtering, threshold for mask stability, offset for stability score calculation, non-maximal suppression threshold for filtering duplicate masks, number of crop layers, non-maximal suppression threshold between crops, degree of overlap between crops, downscaling factor for points per side in crop layers, minimum area for mask regions, and mode for output masks. In some embodiments, controller 118 may contain or interoperate with a GPU which can increase the speed at which the image segmentation is performed.

[0118] After the segmentation masks have been generated, the segmented image data is pre-processed. Pre-processing (504) comprises determining the geometric and morphological parameters for each segmentation mask based on the contour of the aggregate captured by the segmentation mask. Pre-processing (504) may include determining the perimeter of the contour, and then using this information to subsequently determine the convex hull of the contour, the perimeter of an ellipse fitted to the contour, the area enclosed by the contour, the diameter of a circle with the same area as the contour, the major and minor diameters of the fitted ellipse, the dimensions of the minimum bounding rectangle enclosing the contour, the diameter of the smallest circle that can enclose the contour, and the volume of the particle.

[0119] The results for the geometric and morphological parameters determined above for each segmentation mask are subsequently scaled to account for the physical scale of the measurements and converted into appropriate units. The weight of each particle is then determined based on the scaled volume and a given density, which is determined by thetype of aggregate 102 being batched. Lastly, the outlier data is filtered out by removing any particles which are beyond three standard deviations from the mean volume.

[0120] After image data 202 has been segmented and pre-processed, the controller 118 is configured to perform post-processing (506) on the segmented and pre-processed data. Post processing (506) may include performing particle size distribution (PSD) analysis, statistical analysis and visualization. The post-processing (506) may include performing a PSD analysis on the pre-processed data to compare the predicted morphological characteristics of the aggregate 102 against the conventional sieve analysis results. The PSD analysis involves determining size ranges for the aggregate 102 particles, and then determining the total weight of all aggregate 102 particles and the cumulative weight of all aggregate 102 particles within a certain size range. The cumulative weight of each size range is divided by the total weight and plotted on a chart along with an error value, a uniformity coefficient and a curvature coefficient.

[0121] Post-processing (506) may further include plotting the geometric parameters determined during pre-processing (504), and generating a distribution to visualize the median, quartiles and potential outliers within the data.

[0122] Shape analysis (508) utilizes the post-processing data to analyze and determine the shape parameters of the aggregate 102 particles. The shape parameters determined during shape analysis (508) include flatness of particle, angularity of particle, roughness of particle, roundness of particle, and sphericity of particle. The shape parameters are then plotted to visualize the percentiles of aggregate 102 particles.

[0123] NIR data 204, after being labelled with a batch ID, is processed 512 by controller 118 to determine the absorption and scattering of the distinct wavelengths off of aggregate 102. The absorption and scattering of certain wavelengths can be used to determine the moisture content and temperature of aggregate 102. The moisture content and temperature of aggregate 102 particles are plotted to visualize the median, quartiles and potential outliers within the moisture and temperature data.

[0124] The data from post-processing (506), shape analysis (508) and processing (512) are aggregated into a combined data set which is labeled with the associated batch ID. The aggregated data is output (514) by controller 118 as processed data 208, and transmitted to concrete batcher 108 and / or memory storage 212. The processed data 208 generated by the controller 118 can be used for downstream proportioning and mixing techniques to optimize the concrete quality, performance and production efficiency. For example, the high frequency shape and size data generated by process 500 can provide precise and batch specific guidance for the optimal proportioning of cement, water, chemical admixture, remaining aggregates and mixing speed / duration necessary for the batch of aggregate 102. The improved temperature and moisture content data may also improve the mixing process by improving the accuracy of batching for the water and cement components with the batch of aggregate 102.

[0125] FIG. 6 shows a method step diagram of a method 600 for monitoring aggregate characteristics, exemplary of some embodiments. Method 600 may be implemented by controller 118 through a series of machine readable instructions stored within a memory device or cloud storage. In some embodiments, method 600 is initiated (602) when a batch request is received by concrete batcher 108, and an activated trigger signal 109 is transmitted to one or more of controller 118, actuator 112 and valve 116. Upon receiving activated trigger signal (604), one or more of controller 118, actuator 112 and valve 116 may initiate batching and monitoring of aggregate 102. In some embodiments, trigger signal 109 may be an analog signal, a digital signal or a wireless signal.

[0126] Upon receiving activated trigger signal (604), a gate 110 positioned on the bottom of aggregate bin 104 may be configured to open (606). Opening gate 110 of aggregate bin 104 may cause aggregate 102 to fall out of aggregate bin 104 and form a stream of falling aggregate 102 along a falling path. In some embodiments, aggregate 102 which falls from aggregate bin 104 while gate 110 is open may fall along a falling path into a batch scale 106. In some embodiments, batch scale 106 may be configured for weighing and storing aggregate 102 while gate 110 is open.

[0127] In some embodiments in which system 100 contains air source 114, upon opening gate 110 of aggregate bin 104 (606), air source 114 may urge pressurized air towards thefalling path (608). Urging pressurized air towards the falling path (608) may move unwanted particles away from the stream of falling aggregate 102, thereby improving the quality and clarity of the monitored data captured of aggregate 102. For example, step 606 of method 600 may be implemented when aggregate 102 being monitored and batched has a low moisture content such that fine particulate within the batch is neither negligible and / or is expected to interfere with the capture of image and NIR data.

[0128] In some embodiments, pressurized air expelled from air source 114 may be operable within a range of 1-4 bar. In some embodiments, a second air source may urge pressurized air towards external surfaces of image sensor 120 and NIR sensor 122. Urging pressurized air towards image sensor 120 and NIR sensor 122 may remove unwanted particles from the lens of image sensor 120 and NIR sensor 122, thereby reducing particulate build up which may impact the clarity of image data 202 and NIR data 204.

[0129] Upon opening gate 110 of aggregate bin 104, light source 124 is configured to illuminate aggregate 102 in synchrony or asynchrony with opening of a shutter for image sensor 120 (610). In some embodiments, illumination of falling aggregate 102 may be performed through pulsed lighting which is controlled to fluctuate illumination of aggregate 102 at a frequency which is in synchrony with a frame rate of image sensor 120. In some embodiments, illumination of falling aggregate 102 may be performed through pulsed lighting which is overdriven to maximize illumination of aggregate 102 for image sensor 120.

[0130] Upon light source 124 illuminating falling aggregate 102 (610), image sensor 120 may be configured to capture images of the stream of falling aggregate 102 (612). In some embodiments, capturing images of the stream of falling aggregate 102 (612) and the pulsed illumination of falling aggregate 102 (610) are synchronized to occur at overlapping frequencies, but a delay exists which may provides sufficient time for the stream of falling aggregate 102 to be fully illuminated by the light source 120 before image sensor 120 captures images of the stream of falling aggregate 102.

[0131] In some embodiments, image sensor 120 captures images of the stream of falling aggregate 102 at a frame rate of 10-25 frames per second.

[0132] In some embodiments, upon opening gate 110 of aggregate bin 104 (606), an NIR sensor 122 may be configured to capture NIR data of the stream of falling aggregate 102. In some embodiments, NIR data may include scatter and absorption of light in the near infrared range.

[0133] In some embodiments, upon capturing images of the stream of falling aggregate 102 (612), a deactivated trigger signal is received by one or more of controller 118, actuator 112 and valve 116. The deactivated trigger signal may stop the batching and monitoring of aggregate 102 by causing gate 110 to stop aggregate 102 from falling from aggregate bin 104. In some embodiments, receipt of activated trigger signal (604) defines a start of a batch of aggregate 102, and receipt of deactivated trigger signal defines an end of batch of aggregate 102. In some embodiments, a batch of aggregate 102 may be assigned a unique batch identifier, and captured images and NIR data are stored within a memory device in association with the batch identifier.

[0134] In some embodiments, captured images and NIR data may be processed and stored by controller 118 for use in optimizing downstream batching and mixing operations for the current and / or future batches of aggregate 102. In some embodiments, the results from processing captured images and NIR data may be displayed to a user through a portal 216.

[0135] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of computing device 700, exemplary of an embodiment. As depicted, computing device 700 includes at least one processor 702, memory 704, at least one I / O interface 706, and at least one network interface 708.

[0136] Each processor 702 may be, for example, a microprocessor or microcontroller, a digital signal processing (DSP) processor, an integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a reconfigurable processor, a programmable read-only memory (PROM), or combinations thereof.

[0137] Memory 704 may include a combination of computer memory that is located either internally or externally such as, for example, random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), compact disc read-only memory (CDROM), electro-optical memory, magneto-optical memory, erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), andelectrically-erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), Ferroelectric RAM (FRAM) or the like.

[0138] Each I / O interface 706 enables computing device 700 to interconnect with one or more input devices, such as a keyboard, mouse, camera, touch screen and a microphone, or with one or more output devices such as a display screen and a speaker.

[0139] Each network interface 708 enables computing device 700 to communicate with other components, to exchange data with other components, to access and connect to network resources, to serve applications, and perform other computing applications by connecting to a network (or multiple networks) capable of carrying data including the Internet, Ethernet, plain old telephone service (POTS) line, public switch telephone network (PSTN), integrated services digital network (ISDN), digital subscriber line (DSL), coaxial cable, fiber optics, satellite, mobile, wireless (e.g. Wi-Fi, WiMAX), SS7 signaling network, fixed line, local area network, wide area network, and others, including combinations of these.

[0140] FIGs. 8A and 8B show experimental results comparing the data capture quality of a system 100 without (FIG. 8A) and with (FIG. 8B) usage of light source 124. FIG. 8A is a still image 800A of a stream of falling aggregate 102 captured by an image sensor 120 with no illumination from the light source 124. FIG. 8B is a still image 800B of a stream of falling aggregate 102 captured by the image sensor 120 with illumination from the light source 124. As can be seen by visually comparing the two images 800A and 800B, the quality of the data points captured by image 800B is substantially higher and the ability to individually analyze each distinct particle of aggregate 102 is improved due to the clarity of image 800B.

[0141] FIG. 9 shows images 900A-900D of a stream of falling aggregate 102 captured by image sensor 120 of system 100, which all contain a shared batch ID. Images 900A-900D were taken over the course of a single batch of aggregate 102, and represent a sample of the total images which can be captured by image sensor 120 over the course of a single batch. Images 900A-900D were captured by image sensor 120 while light source 124 provided strobing illumination to improve the clarity of each distinct particle within images 900A-900D. System 100 can capture a plurality of images during a single batch of aggregate102, and because the aggregate 102 is falling, the images, such as 900A-900D, capture aggregate 102 at random orientations (i.e., resulting in a reduced data bias) due to the rotation of the particles as they fall into batch scale 106. Therefore, by capturing data of aggregate 102 while it is falling, system 100 may generate a more extensive and accurate set of geometric and morphological parameters for a batch of aggregate 102.

[0142] For example, as mentioned above when discussing the processing of raw image data captured by image sensor 120, geometric and morphological parameters can be determined based on the contour of the distinct particles within a batch of aggregate 102. Since the falling aggregate 102 captured by image sensor 120 is rotating as it falls, multiple orientations of aggregate 102 can be captured (due to the high frame rate of image sensor 120), and the resulting 2D raw image data can be used for determining both 2D and 3D geometric parameters of aggregate 102, such as, the perimeter of the contour, the convex hull of the contour, the perimeter of an ellipse fitted to the contour, the area enclosed by the contour, the diameter of a circle with the same area as the contour, the major and minor diameters of the fitted ellipse, the dimensions of the minimum bounding rectangle enclosing the contour, the diameter of the smallest circle that can enclose the contour, and the volume of the particle.

[0143] Therefore, by capturing images of falling aggregate 102, system 100 may have a technical benefit over alternative approaches which monitor aggregate 102 along a conveyor belt, as the raw image data 900A-900D captured by system 100 can generate improved segmentation and analysis of geometric and morphological parameters due to the plurality of orientations of aggregate 102 which are captured while falling.

[0144] Further, as system 100 can capture a plurality of images of a batch of aggregate 102 (i.e., images 900A-900D are a subset of a larger set of images) and associate these images with a distinct batch ID, a comprehensive audit trail can be generated. The audit trail can be used for downstream optimization and quality tracking. For example, the performance of a concrete mixture prepared downstream of the aggregate batching can be compared with the parameters associated with that batch of concrete (i.e., sharing a unique batch ID) that are generated by system 100. The audit trail may therefore allow an aggregatesupplier to generate detailed evidence of the composition of the aggregate provided in a batch, and track the outcomes of each batch against the associated composition.

[0145] FIG. 10 shows an installation of an example system 1000 for monitoring aggregate 102 characteristics, according to some embodiments. System 1000 is a preferred embodiment of the disclosed system, in which a light source 124 is disposed above an image sensor 120. Both light source 124 and image sensor 120 are mounted to a frame 402 which has been positioned inline with the stream of falling aggregate which will fall from aggregate bin 104 into batch scale 106.

[0146] FIG. 11 shows an installation of an example system 1100 for monitoring aggregate 102 characteristics, according to some embodiments. Similar to system 1000 discussed above, system 1100 shows a preferred embodiment of the disclosed system, in system 1100, a first light source 124A is disposed above image sensor 120, and a second light source 124B is disposed below image sensor 120. Both light sources 124A, 124B and image sensor 120 are mounted to frame 402 which has been positioned inline with the stream of falling aggregate.

[0147] For the sake of brevity, the below discussion of system 1000 shown in FIG. 10 applies to system 1100 shown in FIG. 11.

[0148] In system 1000, a gate 110 controls the flow of falling aggregate 102, and gate 110 is actuated by actuator 112 to open and close based on a trigger signal. System 1000 may be preferred for capturing clear and high-resolution image data of the aggregate 102 under inconsistent or low lighting conditions. Light source 124 may be an LED which is controlled through a timing mechanism such that light source 124 produces pulsed light which is synchronized with the frame rate of the image sensor 120 (e.g. 10-25 frames per second). As a result of the pulsing of light source 124, it is possible for light source 124 to be overdriven (e.g. operate approximately at the LED’s maximum current) to maximize the illuminance and reduce the motion blur of the images of falling aggregate 102 captured by image sensor 120. For example, light source 124 may mitigate the impact on the clarity and resolution of the image data caused by shadows from surrounding components (i.e.,aggregate bin 104, actuator 112, etc.,) and changing lighting conditions (i.e., dusk, midday, evening).

[0149] As can be seen in system 1000 (and system 1100), certain embodiments of the disclosed system can be integrated into the existing batching process at aggregate facilities, reducing the cost and complexity of installation. Frame 402 can be mounted to existing infrastructure within the batching infrastructure, and as aggregate bin 104, gate 110, actuator 112 and batch scale 106 may be standard components within an aggregate facility, system 1000 can be integrated into the existing workflow.

[0150] In some embodiments, the proposed system 100, method 600 and / or device 400 may be operated within a concrete plant during concrete production. In some embodiments, the proposed system 100, method 600 and / or device 400 may be operated at a quarry where the aggregate is produced through crushing and size classification with screens.

[0151] In some embodiments, the improved aggregate monitoring systems and methods proposed above are capable of capturing high-resolution inline images and NIR absorption and scattering data of falling aggregate in real-time or near real-time. The captured image and NIR data can be used to generate detailed morphological, physical and chemical data profiles for each batch of aggregate 102, including, but not limited to, size (i.e. Sieve equivalent (SievEQ) particle size distribution, caliper minimum and caliper maximum diameter, equivalent circular diameter, aspect ratio), shape (i.e. roughness, flatness, compactness, angularity, circularity, roundness and sphericity), moisture content, temperature, packing density and voids.

[0152] In some embodiments, implementation of the proposed system and method results in improved batch-to-batch consistency of concrete, reduced material waste, improved mixing efficiency, and reduced load rejection, as downstream processes can be optimized based on the measured parameters for each batch of aggregate 102.

[0153] In some embodiments, the proposed system and method can be integrated with existing batching and quality control platforms, and can offer data accessibility through cloud-based storage and portals. Further, in some embodiments, network-based computermodels may inter-operate with the controller 118 to improve the analysis by reducing bias and increasing the speed of processing the raw data.

[0154] The term “connected” or "coupled to" may include both direct coupling (in which two elements that are coupled to each other contact each other) and indirect coupling (in which at least one additional element is located between the two elements).

[0155] Although the embodiments have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the scope. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification.

[0156] As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed, that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.

[0157] As can be understood, the examples described above and illustrated are intended to be exemplary only.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A system for monitoring a stream of aggregate, the system comprising:an actuator that can be activated upon receipt of a trigger signal to form a stream of aggregate along a movement path;an image sensor disposed adjacent to the movement path for capturing images of the stream of aggregate upon receipt of the trigger signal;a light source disposed adjacent to the movement path and proximate the image sensor, the light source configured to illuminate the stream of aggregate in synchrony with opening of a shutter for the image sensor;wherein activation of the trigger signal causes:the stream of aggregate to form,the images of the stream of aggregate to be captured, as selectively illuminated by the light source.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an aggregate reservoir for holding the aggregate, the aggregate reservoir having a gate that can be selectively opened via the actuator to cause the aggregate to fall along the movement path.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a conveyor belt for carrying the aggregate along the movement path, and wherein the actuator activates a motor of the conveyor belt.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the light source includes two panels adjacent to the image sensor, and a first panel of the two panels is disposed above the image sensor and a second panel of the two panels is disposed below the image sensor.

5. The system of claim 1, further including a source of pressurized air disposed adjacent to the movement path, the source of pressurized air selectively operable to urge pressurized air towards the movement path upon receipt of the trigger signal, and wherein activation of the trigger signal causes the flow of pressurized air to be expelled thereby moving particles away from the stream of aggregate.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the source of pressurized air is disposed above the image sensor.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the source of pressurized air includes a nozzle oriented towards the movement path.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the source of pressurized air is operable within a range of approximately 1-4 bar.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein a second image sensor is disposed adjacent to the movement path for capturing a second image of the stream of aggregate upon receipt of the trigger signal.

10. The system of claim 1, further including a near infrared (NIR) sensor disposed adjacent to the movement path for capturing NIR data of the stream of aggregate upon receipt of the trigger signal; and wherein activation of the trigger signal causes the NIR data of the stream of falling aggregate to be captured.

11. The system of claim 10, further including a computing device having at least a processor, display screen, and computer memory, and configured to store, within the computer memory, the images and the NIR data.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein deactivation of the trigger signal causes the actuator to cease the stream of aggregate.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein activation of the trigger signal defines a start time of a batch of aggregate and deactivation of the trigger signal defines an end of the batch of aggregate.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the batch of aggregate is assigned a unique batch identifier by the processor, and the image and the NIR data are stored in association with the batch identifier.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the unique batch identifier includes a time series identifier.

16. The system of claim 5, wherein the source of pressurized air is a first source of pressurized air, and the system further includes a second source of pressurized airconfigured to urge pressurized air towards the image sensor to clean particles therefrom.

17. A method for monitoring a stream of aggregate, the method comprising:receiving an activated trigger signal;upon receiving the activated trigger signal:activating an actuator to cause the aggregate to form a stream of aggregate along a movement path;illuminating the stream of aggregate in synchrony with opening of a shutter for an image sensor; andcapturing images of the stream of aggregate.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising, in response to the activated trigger signal, urging pressurized air towards the movement path, thereby moving particles away from the stream of aggregate.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein upon receiving the activated trigger signal, the actuator opens a gate to cause the aggregate to fall along the movement path.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein upon receiving the activated trigger signal, the actuator activates a motor of a conveyor belt to cause the aggregate to move along the movement path.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein upon receiving the activated trigger signal, capturing near infrared data of the stream of aggregate.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein upon receiving a deactivated trigger signal, deactivating the actuator to cease the stream of aggregate.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein receipt of the activated trigger signal defines a start time of a batch of aggregate and receipt of the deactivated trigger signal defines an end of the batch of aggregate.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the batch of aggregate is assigned a unique batch identifier, and the captured images and the NIR data are stored in association with the batch identifier.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the unique batch identifier includes a time series identifier.

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