The present disclosure is related to a parcel sorting system and a parcel sorting method useful to sort parcels.
As recent economic activity rises, the amount of parcel circulation tends to increase. In a circulation process of parcels, sorting work for sorting the parcel by destination is a time-consuming process and relies on manual work from before, but a technology of automating at least a part of the sorting work is proposed.
PTL 1 discloses a system in which a moving parcel is tracked, an image to be displayed is determined based on information related to the parcel read from the parcel and information of a position of the parcel, and the image is projected from a projector to display the image on the parcel.
PTL 1: U.S. Pat. No. 7,090,134
Meanwhile, in recent years, the amount of parcel circulation has been increased more and more and types of parcels have also become various, so that a technology of effectively and precisely sorting the parcel is required.
The present disclosure is related to the technology of effectively and precisely sorting the parcel.
According to the present disclosure, there is provided a parcel sorting system including: a transport conveyor; a sensor that obtains a distance image of a parcel passing through a sensing region including a part of the transport conveyor; and a projection instruction device that generates a projection image to be projected on the parcel based on the distance image, in which the transport conveyor includes a parcel separation unit that separates adjacent parcels, inside the sensing region.
According to the present disclosure, there is provided a parcel sorting method including: obtaining a distance image of a parcel passing through a sensing region including a part of a transport conveyor; and generating a projection image to be projected on the parcel based on the distance image, in which the transport conveyor includes a parcel separation unit that separates adjacent parcels, inside the sensing region.
According to the present disclosure, it is possible to more effectively and precisely sort parcels and to further deal with an increase in the amount of parcel circulation. In particular, since at least two adjacent parcels are separated on a transport conveyor when a distance image of the parcel is obtained, it is possible to more effectively and precisely sort the parcels.
Hereinafter, embodiments (hereinafter, referred to as “present embodiment”) which specifically disclose a projection instruction device, a parcel sorting system, and a projection instruction method according to the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to appropriate drawings. Meanwhile, in some cases, an unnecessarily detailed explanation may be omitted. For example, in some cases, a detailed explanation of already well-known items and a repetition explanation of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary repetition of the following description and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. The accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure and are not intended to limit a scope of the claims.
Hereinafter, the embodiments of the disclosure will be described with reference to
Label reader 10 as a reading device is a device which includes various components such as a lens (not illustrated), an image sensor, and the like. By using label reader 10, it is possible to read label recording information including various types of information related to the parcel from a label attached to the parcel transported by the transport conveyor. By using the read label recording information, it becomes possible to specify the parcel. By the read information, parcel identification information is defined.
Image sensor 20 is an imaging device which includes various components such as a lens (not illustrated), an image sensor, and the like. Image sensor 20 is generally configured by an imaging camera. The imaging camera is a three-dimensional camera, a plurality of two-dimensional cameras, or the like. Image sensor 20 includes distance image sensor 22 and color image sensor 24.
Distance image sensor 22 images the parcel transported by the transport conveyor and generates a distance image. The generated distance image is used as information indicating a position of the parcel, a distance to the parcel, a size of the parcel, and the like. “Distance image” means an image including distance information indicating a distance from an imaging position to a position (including a surface of a parcel) indicated by each of pixels (that is, “image” in the present disclosure includes a distance image). In addition, a term of “distance image” includes one which cannot be recognized as an image by human eyes, such as a table or the like listing numerical values indicating a distance. That is, “distance image” may be information indicating a relationship between coordinates and a distance in the imaged region, and a data structure is not limited thereto. In the present disclosure, distance image sensor 22 is used for specifying the position of the parcel. Therefore, distance image sensor 22 also can be replaced with another sensing device (an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a stereo camera, and a monocular video camera).
Color image sensor 24 images a parcel generated by the distance image and generates a color image. “Color image” refers to an image in which a color of a surface of a parcel is expressed with a predetermined gradation, and the “gradation” includes not only 256 gradations of RGB but also all kinds of grayscales or the like. Color image sensor 24 in the present disclosure is used for tracking each parcel, for the parcel specified by distance image sensor 22. Color image sensor 24 also can be replaced with another sensing device (an ultrasonic sensor, an infrared sensor, a stereo camera, and a monocular video camera).
That is, in the present disclosure, a term of “image” includes both of a distance image and a color image. In the present disclosure, information output from an image sensor as a sensing device including a distance image sensor and a color image sensor is referred to as sensing information. In the present embodiment, an example of the sensing device will be described by using image sensor 20 (including distance image sensor 22 and color image sensor 24). In addition, in the present embodiment, an example of the sensing information will be described by using a distance image output by distance image sensor 22 and a color image output by color image sensor 24.
Projection instruction device 30 functions as a calculation device in parcel sorting system 100. As illustrated in
Projector 40 is configured by a general projection device, and projects projection light including the projection image received from projection instruction device 30, on the parcel and displays the projection image onto the parcel.
Parcel sorting system 100 can be configured to include label reader 10, image sensor 20 (distance image sensor 22 and color image sensor 24), projection instruction device 30, and projector 40 connected with one another in wired communication or in wireless communication. In addition, parcel sorting system 100 also can be configured to include two or more devices of any of label reader 10, image sensor 20, projection instruction device 30, and projector 40 as an integral device. For example, image sensor 20 and projector 40 can be combined to construct an integral imaging projection device (see
In the present embodiment, as illustrated in
Further, image sensor 20 images the image (the distance image and the color image) of parcel P transported by transport conveyor 50 and obtains information such as a position of parcel P, a distance to parcel P, a size (lengths of three sides when parcel P is rectangular parallelepiped) of parcel P, a color of parcel P, a pattern of parcel P, and the like. Further, positions of label reader 10 and image sensor 20, a type of the sensing device, and an order of processes are not particularly limited to the illustrated embodiments. As described above, in the present example, image sensor 20 and projector 40 are configured as an integrated imaging projection device 60 and are disposed above transport conveyor 50.
Projection instruction device 30 (not illustrated in
Projector 40 which receives the projection instruction, as an image projection device, projects projection light including the projection image generated by projection instruction device 30 on parcel P and displays the projection image on parcel P. Here, the projection image displayed on parcel P is, for example, an image of an encircled number having a color indicating a sorting location corresponding to a delivery address of parcel P (see
In
For example, parcel P1 has parcel identification information of “AAA111” on a label, and the parcel identification information of “AAA111” specifies that the parcel is a target to be sorted in region A. Here, when parcel P1 reaches the specific region, processor 34 transmits the generated projection image to projector 40 as illustrated in
In the present embodiment, as illustrated in
Hereinafter, in parcel sorting system 100 according to the embodiment, an outline of an operation of sorting the parcel performed by projection instruction device 30 will be described.
On the other hand, in parallel with step S1 and step S2, after distance image sensor 22 of image sensor 20 images the distance image of the parcel, input unit 32 of projection instruction device 30 obtains the distance image as the sensing information from distance image sensor 22 (step S20). Processor 34 determines whether or not the ID corresponding to the parcel existing in the distance image exists in memory 36.
An example of a method of determining whether or not the ID corresponding to the parcel existing in the distance image exists in memory 36 is as follows. That is, processor 34 calculates a time required for the parcel to move between label reader 10 and distance image sensor 22 by a distance (assumed to be known) between label reader 10 and distance image sensor 22 and a speed of transport conveyor 50. By subtracting the time from a time when the distance image is obtained, a time when the ID is assigned to the parcel existing in the distance image by label reader 10 (or processor 34) can be estimated. It can be estimated that the ID assigned close to the estimated time is the ID corresponding to the parcel existing in the distance image. In addition, as another example, a method of installing another distance image sensor in the vicinity of label reader 10 may be possible. That is, by tracking the parcel, to which the ID is assigned, by using another distance image sensor installed in the vicinity of label reader 10 since label reader 10 assigns the ID (or processor 34), a distance between the parcel (or the ID) and label reader 10 is measured for a time unit. Processor 34 can estimate the ID of the parcel in the distance image obtained in predetermined step S20 by the measured distance between the parcel (or the ID) and label reader 10, a distance of the parcel in the distance image obtained in step S20, and a distance (assumed to be known) between two distance image sensors.
In this manner, processor 34 determines whether or not the ID corresponding to the parcel included in the distance image exists in memory 36 (step S30). That is, as described in step S2, in memory 36, the parcel identification information, the ID, and the time information corresponding to a time when the ID is assigned are recorded in advance. On the other hand, as described above, for example, processor 34 subtracts the time required for the parcel to move between label reader 10 and distance image sensor 22 from the time when the distance image is obtained, a time when the ID is assigned to the parcel existing in the distance image by label reader 10 (or processor 34) can be estimated. Processor 34 compares the time information recorded in memory 36 in advance and the estimated time. In a case where the time information is close to the estimated time (for example, a case where a time difference is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold time), processor 34 can determine that the ID corresponding to the parcel included in the distance image exists in memory 36. In a case where it is determined that the ID corresponding to the parcel exists in memory 36 (Yes in step S30), the process moves to step S60 and subsequent steps.
In a case where it is determined that the ID corresponding to the parcel does not exist in memory 36 (No in step S30), on the premise that the ID is not assigned to the parcel, processor 34 specifies the position of the parcel again (step S40) and assigns the ID to the parcel (step S50).
In parallel with the above steps, color image sensor 24 generates a color image for each parcel of which a distance image is obtained. Processor 34 tracks the parcel, to which the ID is attached, transported and moved by transport conveyor 50 based on the color image from color image sensor 24 obtained by input unit 32 (step S60). Based on the color image likewise, processor 34 determines whether or not the worker picks up the tracked parcel (step S70). In a case where it is determined that the parcel is not picked up by the worker (No in step S70), processor 34 determines whether or not the parcel exists in a specific region (a predetermined sorting area in which the parcel is to be picked up) to be described below. In a case where it is determined that the parcel exists (reaches) in the specific region (Yes in step S80), processor 34 generates the projection image and transmits the projection image to projector 40 (step S90). In a case where it is not determined that the parcel exists (reaches) in the specific region (No in step S80), the process returns to step S60 and processor 34 continues to track the parcel.
In addition, in step S70, in a case where it is determined that the parcel is picked up by the worker (Yes in step S70), processor 34 reads detail information of the parcel from memory 36 (step S100), generates the projection image including the detail information, and outputs the projection image generated by output unit 38, to projector 40 (step S90). Projector 40 which obtains the projection image from projection instruction device 30, projects the projection image on the corresponding parcel.
The above is the outline of the operation procedure performed by processor 34 and the like of projection instruction device 30. Certainly, the operation procedure is not limited to that described above. For example, the determination in step S70 can be omitted. In addition, for the determination in step S70, it is possible to use contact determination between a hand of the worker and the parcel, a color image, a distance image, or the like. Next, a specific case of the present disclosure will be described.
Generally, parcel sorting system 100 illustrated in
Meanwhile, as illustrated in
Therefore, the present disclosure provides a projection instruction device which improves a configuration of a transport conveyor so that a plurality of adjacent parcels can be separated during transportation and a projection image can be projected on each parcel.
Transport conveyor 50 in
A region to be imaged by image sensor 20, that is, a sensing region, includes a part, in which an inclination angle changes, of transport conveyor 50. Image sensor (here, a sensor which obtains a distance image) 20 can individually identify the two parcels and obtain a distance image, and processor 34 of projection instruction device 30 which receives this can individually track the two parcels after being separated from an adjacent state in parcel separation unit S (boundary S) included inside the sensing region. Further, processor 34 can generate a projection image for each parcel, and projector 40 can project the projection image for each parcel.
Transport conveyor 50 in
Transport conveyor 50 in
Since the transport conveyor of the present disclosure has the configuration described above and image sensor 20 can individually identify two separated parcels, finally, projector 40 can project a projection image for each parcel, and it is possible to increase accuracy and efficiency of the operation. Further, when the worker places the parcel on the transport conveyor, the worker can work without worrying about a method of placing the parcel.
The specific embodiment of parcel separation unit S is not limited to those illustrated in
Although the embodiment of a projection instruction device, a parcel sorting system, and a projection instruction method according to the present disclosure is described with reference to the drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to such an example. Those skilled in the art can conceive various modification examples, change examples, substitution examples, addition examples, deletion examples, and equivalent examples within the scope described in the claims and these rightly belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure.
The embodiment described above is described on the assumption that the speed changes due to the change in the inclination angle of transport conveyor 50 in
In the embodiment described above, transport conveyor 50 in
With reference to
In the embodiment described above, boundary S is disposed inside the imaging region of image sensor 20, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. In a case where separation of a parcel at boundary S is caused by a change in speed, a state where the parcel is separated after passing through boundary S continues. Therefore, even when image sensor 20 is disposed downstream of boundary S, there is a high possibility that the parcel having the separated state can be recognized. Such a structure is particularly useful in a case where it is difficult to dispose image sensor 20 near boundary S due to the environment in which transport conveyor 50 is arranged.
In the embodiment described above, the location at which the inclination angle or the transport speed changes and the location at which image sensor 20 is disposed coincide with each other, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. The inclination angle or the transport speed may change at a predetermined position in transport conveyor 50. Even in this case, the possibility that the parcels are transported in the separated state is increased as compared with a transport conveyor in which neither the inclination angle nor the transport speed changes.
In the embodiment described above, a plurality of locations at which the inclination angle or the transport speed of transport conveyor 50 changes may be provided. Accordingly, this increases the chances of the parcels being separated, so that the parcels can be more reliably separated.
In the embodiment described above, an image obtained by image sensor 20 at the location at which the inclination angle or the transport speed of transport conveyor 50 changes is a distance image, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. Instead of the distance image, or together with the distance image, image sensor 20 may obtain a color image. In the embodiment described above, the tracking of the parcel based on the color image is also performed, so that a tracking error is likely to occur in a case where the parcels having colors likewise are transported adjacently. Therefore, by obtaining a color image at boundary S at which the parcels are separated or at the downstream thereof, it is possible to reduce the tracking error.
The present disclosure is useful to provide a projection instruction device, a parcel sorting system, and a projection instruction method capable of separating parcels in an adjacent state and individually tracking the parcels.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2017-187199 | Sep 2017 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/JP2018/025735 | 7/6/2018 | WO | 00 |