JP6861986B2 - Article identification device with indirect illumination light source - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an article identification device comprising an indirect illumination light source.

Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2015-65494) describes that backlight illumination is used for image identification of bread. That is, the bread to be identified is placed on a milky white translucent tray and placed on the upper part of the backlight light source. Then, the bread is imaged from the upper part of the tray, and the type and number of breads are identified by image identification.

Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-167158) describes that indirect lighting is used to identify a drug. That is, the chemical is illuminated from the bottom by indirect illumination light, and the image is taken by the camera.

JP 2015-65494 JP 2004-167158

In the identification of miscellaneous goods, chemicals such as tablets and capsules, mechanical parts, parts such as electronic parts, and foods such as bread, these articles may be in contact with each other. Then, for example, when two articles are in contact with each other, they look like one article, which makes it difficult to identify them. Therefore, when the backlight illumination is applied from the rear of the article as in Patent Document 1, the boundary of the article is emphasized and it becomes easy to separate the individual articles.

Indirect lighting is preferable for identifying articles (Patent Document 2). Therefore, if a backlight light source and an indirect lighting light source other than this are provided, the lighting device becomes large-scale.

An object of the present invention is to make it possible to identify the contour of an article by using a backlit light source, indirectly illuminate the article, and further reduce the influence of ambient light.

The article identification device including the indirect illumination light source of the present invention
A case having an opaque ceiling and an opaque wall, and a diffuse reflection surface between the inner surface of the ceiling and the inner surface of the wall, and an opening suitable for putting in and taking out articles.
A backlight source installed at the bottom of the case that illuminates the article from below,
A camera installed on the ceiling or wall that captures an object on a backlit light source,
It has an image identification device that identifies the number and type of articles on the backlight source from the image of the camera.

In the present invention, the article is illuminated from below by a backlit light source. Therefore, even when the article and the article are in contact with each other, the light passes through the gap between the article and the article, and the contour of the article can be estimated. Therefore, the overlapping articles can be separated into individual articles. In addition, the shadow cast by the article on the surroundings can be eliminated, and the article and the background can be separated. Most of the light from the backlight source is diffusely reflected on the inner surface of the ceiling or the inner surface of the wall without being blocked by the article, and illuminates the article as indirect illumination light. Therefore, the backlight light source can also be used as a light source for indirect lighting. Ambient light disturbs the brightness and color tone of articles, making it difficult to identify them. Especially when the article is covered with a transparent bag or the like, specular reflection of ambient light on the surface of the bag makes it particularly difficult to identify the article. In the present invention, ambient light is blocked by an opaque ceiling and an opaque wall, and indirect illumination light is used for imaging. Therefore, the influence of ambient light can be minimized.

Preferably, the opening is provided in only one place on the side surface of the case to reduce the influence of ambient light. If the influence of ambient light is reduced, the article can be identified more accurately.

Vertical sectional view of the article identification device of the embodiment Front view of the article identification device of the embodiment A diagram showing an amulet and a chemical bag as an example of an identification target Front view of the article identification device of the second embodiment Top view of the article identification device of the second embodiment

The optimum example is shown below. The scope of the present invention should be determined according to the understanding of those skilled in the art, based on the description of the scope of claims, taking into consideration the description of the specification and well-known techniques in this field.

1 to 5 show the article identification devices 2 and 42 of the embodiment. 1 and 2 show the first embodiment, and the article identification device 2 is provided with a company-shaped opaque case 4 imitating a building such as a temple in order to identify articles such as amulets, and has a ceiling 5 and its structure. A wall 7 surrounding the lower three sides is provided, and the inner surface 6 of the ceiling and the inner surface 8 of the wall are, for example, milky white diffuse reflection surfaces, and an opening 9 is provided on one of the side surfaces, and only the article can be stored in the tray 14 or without the tray 14. You can put it in and out.

The backlight light source 12 is located on the floor surface 13 of the case 4, and illuminates, for example, white light from the back surface of the tray 14 and its surroundings. The contour of the article 16 is made clear by passing through the gap between the articles in contact. The backlight light source 12 has a built-in white LED, a white fluorescent lamp, and the like, and the upper surface is transparent or translucent (appearing milky white) so that light from the internal LED or the like can be taken out. Further, the illumination from the backlight light source 12 is diffusely reflected by the inner surface 5 of the ceiling, the inner surface 8 of the wall, and the like, and illuminates the article 16 as indirect illumination light. Then, the article 16 on the tray 14 is imaged by the color camera 20.

With respect to the wall 7 and the opening 9, it is preferable that the tray 14 can be taken in and out and the area of the inner surface 8 of the wall is increased. The other points are arbitrary. For example, a wall 18 may be provided above the chain line 17 in FIG. 2 with respect to the opening 9, and the inside thereof may be a reflective surface. Further, an opaque curtain, a door, or the like for closing the opening 9 may be provided. On the contrary, a gap may be provided in the lower part of the wall 7 so that the tray 14 can be taken in and out of the case 4 by a conveyor or the like.

The tray 14 is transparent or translucent (appearing milky white), and illuminates the article 16 from the back surface (bottom surface) side by transmitting light from the backlight light source 12. As a result, the brightness changes along the contour of the article 16, and the contour of the article 16 can be easily cut out from the image of the camera 20. When the articles 16 overlap each other, a V-shaped notched contour is formed in the overlapping portion, so that the articles can be separated into individual articles by connecting the tips of the notches or the like.

The light from the backlight light source 12 that is not blocked by the article 16 is diffusely reflected by the inner surface 6 of the ceiling and the inner surface 8 of the wall, and reilluminates the tray 14 as indirect illumination. Since the external light does not enter from other than the opening 9, the ambient light from the outside rarely illuminates the tray 14 and the article 16. Therefore, it is not easily affected by the strength of ambient light, color tone, and the like. Further, it is possible to prevent the light from the external lighting or the like from being mirror-reflected by the article 16 and making it difficult to identify the article.

In the embodiment, the backlight light source 12 facilitates the identification of the contour of the article 16, the ceiling 5 and the wall 7 block the ambient light, and the indirect lighting using the inner surface 5 of the ceiling and the inner surface 8 of the wall facilitates the identification of the article. 16 is imaged. In this way, the influence of the ambient light is weakened, and in particular, the ambient light is prevented from being specularly reflected by the article 16 or the like. Further, the article 16 is uniformly illuminated by indirect illumination.

The color image from the camera 20 is image-identified by the image identification device 22, and the number and type of articles 16 are identified. Since the back light light source 12 illuminates the back surface of the article 16, individual articles can be cut out even when the articles 16 are in contact with each other. In addition, the shadow cast by the article on the surroundings disappears, and the outline of the article can be identified more accurately. The article 16 is indirectly illuminated by the light from the backlight light source 12 without being affected by the ambient light, and the same article can capture an image having substantially the same characteristics. Therefore, the image for each type of the article 16 is stored, and the type and the number of the articles 16 can be identified from the similarity with the stored image.

When the image identification device 22 is connected to a cash register device, a POS system, or the like, the image identification device 22 outputs the type and number of articles to these devices or systems. Further, preferably, the display 24 is connected to the image identification device 22, for example, the images of the tray 14 and the article 16 and the type and number of the identified articles are displayed, and the purchaser or the like of the article 16 and the salesperson or the like display the identification result. Be able to check.

In the identification of bread, vegetables, etc., when a large number of these articles are placed on the tray 14, the light transmitted through the tray 14 is blocked, and the image of the articles may be darkened. On the other hand, the light amount distribution of the backlight light source 12 may be devised to brighten the peripheral portion. Further, the image identification device 22 may brighten the dark image by performing histogram conversion on the color image from the camera 20 and keeping the distribution range of the brightness of the image constant.

FIG. 3 shows the articles 30 and 34 to be identified. In the amulet 30 on the left, a bill 32 is attached to the amulet body 31, and the amulet body 31 is housed in a transparent package 33. How many amulets are there is the goal of identification in this case. In the medicine bag 34 on the right, tablets 36, 37, capsules 38, and the like, for example, a single dose of medicine are contained in the transparent bag 35. How many drugs are available is the identification goal in this case. In both the amulet 30 and the chemical bag 34, a plurality of them may be in contact with each other and placed on the tray, and even in such a case, correct identification is required.

When there are a plurality of articles such as amulets 30 on the tray, they may come into contact with each other and the outline of the articles may become unclear. Then, image identification becomes difficult. Further, even if the tablets 36, 37 and the capsule 38 in the medicine bag 34 come into contact with each other, it becomes difficult to identify the image. When identifying the chemical bags 34 for 3 days or the like, the chemical bags 34 may come into contact with each other. Since the light from the backlight source passes through the gap between the articles, the gap can be used to separate and identify the overlapping articles.

The ambient light may be specularly reflected by the transparent packaging 33, the transparent bag 35, or the like and incident on the camera. Since the specularly reflected light becomes noise in image identification, the ambient light is blocked by the ceiling 5 and the wall 7, and the indirect illumination light reflected from the backlight light source 12 by the inner surface 6 of the ceiling and the inner surface 8 of the wall is used. Use to image. Since this indirect illumination light has uniform color tone and brightness and does not cause specular reflection, it is easy to identify the article.

The articles to be identified include, for example, the following.
・ Amulets, bills, votive tablets such as votive tablets,
・ Solid chemicals,
・ Small parts such as screws and gears,
・ Electronic components such as IC chips, transistors, surface mount capacitors, resistors, etc.
・ Processed foods such as rice balls and bread in transparent or translucent bags,
・ Bread, vegetables, etc.

Among these articles, the identification of a transparent or translucent bagged article can reduce noise due to specular reflection of ambient light and accurately identify the article. Even when identifying articles that are not in the bag, the backlight light makes it easier to recognize the outline of the article, and indirect lighting that reflects the backlight light on the inner surface of the ceiling and the inner surface of the wall allows the image of the article to be displayed under certain lighting conditions. Can be imaged with. In addition, the ceiling and walls can block ambient light. Further, the backlight light source can also be used as an indirect lighting light source. When a large number of items such as bread are placed on the tray, the indirect illumination light becomes dark, but this can be dealt with by converting the histogram with an image identification device or by brightening the backlight light source in the peripheral portion of the tray.

4 and 5 show the article identification device 42 in the second embodiment, and are the same as those in FIGS. 1 to 3 except for the points particularly pointed out. The opaque case 44 includes a hemispherical dome 45 and a wall 47, a backlight source 54 is arranged on the floor surface 53 of the case 44, and the tray 14 is taken in and out through the opening 49. The dome 45 covers the upper part, and the wall 47 covers almost three of the four sides around the backlight light source 54 (below the dome 45). The inner surfaces of the dome 45 and the wall 47 are, for example, milky white diffuse reflection surfaces 46 and 48. The article identification device 42 is substantially the same except for the difference in design between the case 4 and the case 44.

The tray 14 in the embodiment is not essential. Also, it is not essential to manually put in and take out the tray 14. For example, the case 44 may be provided with a pair of facing openings 49, 49, and articles may be conveyed into the case 44 by a belt conveyor or the like to identify small parts, electronic parts, and the like. In this case, small parts, electronic parts, etc. may be placed on the conveyor without a tray.

The camera 20 may be arranged on the inner surface 8 of the wall or the diffuse reflection surface 48 of the wall, but is preferably arranged on the inner surface 6 of the ceiling or the diffuse reflection surface 46 of the ceiling. Further, the backlight light sources 12 and 52 may be fitted to the lower ends of the cases 4 and 44 without providing the floor surfaces 13 and 53.

2,42 Article identification device 4,44 Case 5 Ceiling 6 Ceiling inner surface 7 Wall 8 Wall inner surface 9 Opening 12, 52 Backlight light source 13,53 Floor surface 14 Tray 16 Article 20 Camera 22 Image identification device 24 Display 30 Omamori 31 Omamori body 32 Bill 33 Transparent packaging 34 Chemical bag 35 Transparent bag 36,37 Tablets 38 Capsules 45 Dome 46,48 Diffuse reflective surface 47 Wall
49 openings

Claims (3)

Opaque ceiling, and a 4-way and provided with an opening in one of all or downward surrounds the opaque walls, and the ceiling of the inner surface and the wall of the inner surface is diffuse reflective surface, and the case,
A backlit light source that illuminates an article placed on a transparent or translucent tray at the bottom of the case from below the tray.
A camera that is installed above the ceiling or wall and captures an article placed on a tray.
It has an image identification device that identifies the number and type of the articles from the image of the camera.
Light from a backlit light source that is transmitted through the tray and diffusely reflected by the inner surface of the ceiling or wall without being blocked by the article is configured to indirectly illuminate the article placed on the tray.
An article identification device equipped with an indirect illumination light source. The article identification device according to claim 1, wherein the opening can be opened and closed by an opaque curtain or an opaque door. The article identification device including the indirect illumination light source according to claim 2, wherein the opening is provided at only one place on the wall of the case.

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