JP7500319B2 - Control device and cargo handling system - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a control device and a loading and unloading system.

Conventionally, in logistics warehouses and the like that store goods and other cargo, loading and unloading devices and other loading and unloading equipment are used to unload cargo. For example, cargo that has been moved by a conveyor or the like from a warehouse that stores cargo that needs to be frozen or refrigerated (hereinafter also referred to as a refrigerated warehouse) to the outside is unloaded by the loading and unloading equipment.

In addition, in loading and unloading devices, the position, shape, etc. of a package is image-recognized from an image of the package captured by an imaging device such as a camera, and the package is grasped based on the recognition results. For example, a technology is known in the past that recognizes the position and orientation of a package from an image obtained by imaging, and selects a package to be picked based on the results.

JP 2010-120141 A

However, when luggage stored in a refrigerated warehouse is moved to an environment outside the warehouse, frost may form on the surface of the luggage due to the temperature difference between the air temperature outside the warehouse and the temperature of the luggage. In this case, the accuracy of image recognition of the luggage may decrease due to the influence of frost, and the frost on the surface of the luggage may also hinder gripping of the luggage, which may reduce the unloading performance of the loading and unloading device.

The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a control device and a loading/unloading system that can efficiently load and unload frozen or refrigerated goods.

The control device of the embodiment includes a first connection unit, a second connection unit, a third connection unit, and a control unit. The first connection unit is connected to a first imaging device installed in a first environment. The second connection unit is connected to a second imaging device installed in a second environment. The third connection unit is connected to a loading device that grasps and loads an item moved from the first environment to the second environment. The control unit acquires a first captured image of the item captured by the first imaging device via the first connection unit and a second captured image of the item captured by the second imaging device via the second connection unit, and transmits a result of determining the surface condition of the item based on the first captured image and the second captured image via the third connection unit.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a layout of a cargo handling system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a cargo handling system according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a gripping portion according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the control device according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the control device according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process performed by the control device of the embodiment.

The control device and loading/unloading system according to the embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the layout of a loading and unloading system according to an embodiment. Figure 1 shows a schematic view of the layout of the loading and unloading system as seen from above. Note that the X and Y directions are directions along horizontal planes that are perpendicular to each other. The Z direction is a vertical direction that is perpendicular to the X and Y directions.

As shown in FIG. 1, the loading and unloading system 1 has a first conveyor 10, a second conveyor 20, a loading and unloading section 30, a third conveyor 40, a loading and unloading device 50, and a fourth conveyor 60. Here, the first conveyor 10 and the third conveyor 40 are installed from the freezer warehouse A1 to the room temperature warehouse A2. Also, the second conveyor 20, the loading and unloading section 30, the loading and unloading device 50, and the fourth conveyor 60 are installed in the room temperature warehouse A2.

The freezer warehouse A1 is kept at a lower temperature than the room temperature warehouse A2 (e.g., -15°C or lower, -5 to 5°C, etc.) and stores cargo W, which is frozen or refrigerated goods. The cargo W has, for example, a box shape and is stored in the freezer warehouse A1 while being loaded onto a pallet P. The environment inside the freezer warehouse A1 is an example of the first environment.

On the other hand, the room temperature warehouse A2 is located, for example, adjacent to the freezer warehouse A1. The temperature inside the room temperature warehouse A2 is room temperature (for example, 5 to 35°C), which is higher than the freezer warehouse A1. The room temperature warehouse A2 is used, for example, as a temporary storage location when cargo W stored in the freezer warehouse A1 is transferred to transportation. The environment inside the room temperature warehouse A2 is an example of the second environment.

The first conveyor 10 is a transport device such as a roller conveyor or a belt conveyor. The first conveyor 10 transports the luggage W stored in the freezer warehouse A1 to outside the freezer warehouse A1 (to the normal temperature warehouse A2). Here, the luggage W is placed on the first conveyor 10 while being loaded onto a pallet P, for example, by a pallet transport machine (not shown). An imaging box 11 (described later) is provided on the transport path of the first conveyor 10 inside the freezer warehouse A1.

The second conveyor 20 is a transport device such as a roller conveyor or a belt conveyor. The second conveyor 20 receives the pallet P transported by the first conveyor 10 and transports it to the unloading section 30.

The unloading section 30 is installed downstream in the transport direction of the third conveyor 40, and temporarily holds the pallet P transported by the second conveyor 20. The unloading section 30 also has a transport mechanism such as a roller conveyor or belt conveyor, and is capable of transporting the held pallet P toward the third conveyor 40 under the control of the control device 70 (see FIG. 2) described below.

The third conveyor 40 is a transport device such as a roller conveyor or a belt conveyor. The third conveyor 40 receives the pallet P transported by the unloading section 30 and transports it into the freezer warehouse A1. The pallet P transported to the freezer warehouse A1 is placed at a predetermined position within the freezer warehouse A1 by, for example, a pallet transport machine (not shown).

The unloading device 50 is an example of a loading device. The unloading device 50 performs an unloading (loading and handling) operation of grasping a piece of luggage W from a pallet P held in the unloading section 30 and moving the piece of luggage W to the fourth conveyor 60. Specifically, the unloading device 50 performs an unloading operation of the piece of luggage W by driving the gripping section 53 and the arm 54, etc. based on the position, shape, etc. of the piece of luggage W obtained by image recognition under the control of the control device 70 (see FIG. 2) described later.

The fourth conveyor 60 is a transport device such as a roller conveyor or a belt conveyor. The fourth conveyor 60 receives the luggage W carried by the unloading device 50 and transports the luggage W to a predetermined location, such as a transport container.

In the layout of FIG. 1, when luggage W stored in the freezer warehouse A1 is moved to the room temperature warehouse A2, frost may form on the surface of the luggage W due to the temperature difference between the room temperature warehouse A2 and the temperature of the luggage W. In this case, the accuracy of image recognition of the luggage W may decrease due to the influence of the frost on the luggage W. In addition, the frost on the surface of the luggage W may hinder the unloading device 50 from grasping the luggage W. Therefore, with the above-mentioned layout, there is a possibility that the unloading performance of the unloading device 50 may decrease.

Therefore, the loading and unloading system 1 of this embodiment further includes a configuration for reducing the effects of frost adhering to the luggage W. The configuration of the loading and unloading system 1 will be described below with reference to FIG. 2.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the loading and unloading system 1. Note that Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the first conveyor 10, the second conveyor 20, the unloading section 30, and the unloading device 50 shown in Figure 1, as viewed from the X direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, the loading and unloading system 1 includes an imaging box 11 installed on the transport path of the first conveyor 10. The imaging box 11 is installed in the freezer warehouse A1 (see FIG. 1) and has a gate-like shape that spans the transport path of the first conveyor 10.

A first camera 12 is provided at the top inside the imaging box 11. The first camera 12 is an example of a first imaging device, and is realized by a digital camera equipped with an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary MOS) image sensor.

The first camera 12 captures an image of the pallet P (baggage W) being transported on the first conveyor 10 from above. In other words, the first camera 12 captures an image of the baggage W before frost forms on it. The image captured by the first camera 12 (hereinafter also referred to as the first captured image) is output to the control device 70, which will be described later.

It is preferable that the imaging conditions and imaging environment (hereinafter collectively referred to as imaging conditions) of the first camera 12 are approximately equivalent to the imaging conditions of the second camera 51 (described later) installed in the unloading device 50. For example, it is preferable that the imaging conditions such as the angle of view, focal length, imaging direction, and illuminance when the first camera 12 images the luggage W are approximately equivalent to the imaging conditions of the second camera 51. In addition, lighting or the like may be provided separately in the imaging box 11 to make the imaging conditions equivalent to those of the second camera 51. In this way, by making the imaging conditions of the first camera 12 and the second camera 51 approximately equivalent, it is possible to improve the convenience and accuracy when comparing the images captured by both cameras.

The unloading device 50 includes a second camera 51, a sensor 52, a gripping unit 53, and an arm 54. The second camera 51 is an example of a second imaging device. Like the first camera 12, the second camera 51 can be realized by a digital camera equipped with an imaging element such as a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor. The second camera 51 is provided above the unloading unit 30, and captures an image of the pallet P (baggage W) placed on the unloading unit 30 from above.

The luggage W captured by the second camera 51 has been moved from the freezer warehouse A1 to the room temperature warehouse A2, and so there is a possibility that frost has formed on the surface of the luggage W during the movement. In other words, the second camera 51 can capture an image of the luggage W with frost on it. The image captured by the second camera 51 (hereinafter also referred to as the second image) is output to the control device 70, which will be described later.

The sensor 52 is an example of a detection device. The sensor 52 is a type of sensor device that senses the surrounding environment of the luggage W. The sensor 52 is, for example, a temperature sensor or a humidity sensor, and senses the temperature and humidity around the luggage W. The sensing result of the sensor 52 is output to the control device 70 described later.

The gripping portion 53 is a means for gripping the luggage W. The gripping portion 53 can be configured to have one or more suction pads 532, for example, as shown in FIG. 3.

Figure 3 is a diagram showing a schematic example of the configuration of the gripping portion 53. Note that Figure 3 shows a cross section of a portion of the gripping portion 53.

As shown in FIG. 3, the gripping portion 53 has a main body 531 with an L-shaped cross section. A plurality of suction pads 532 are provided on the L-shaped inner wall surfaces 531a, 531b of the main body 531. The suction pads 532 are made of a low-rigidity material such as silicone rubber, and are deformable to conform to the surface shape of the luggage W. The number of suction pads 532 is not limited to the example in FIG. 3. For example, there may be one suction pad 532 for each of the inner wall surfaces 531a, 531b. The suction pad 532 may also be provided only on the inner wall surface 531a.

The suction pads 532 are connected to the air compressor 534 via the internal flow path 533. Specifically, a hole 533a that communicates with the internal flow path 533 is provided in the center of the suction pads 532. The internal flow path 533 connects all of the suction pads 532 to the air compressor 534. The hole 533a is an example of an injection port.

The air compressor 534 is an example of a compressed air supply device. Under the control of the control device 70, the air compressor 534 generates a pressure (negative pressure) lower than atmospheric pressure inside the internal flow path 533. The suction pad 532 holds (suction-holds) the luggage W that comes into contact with the suction pad 532 by creating a negative pressure in the internal flow path 533. In other words, the gripping unit 53 is capable of gripping the luggage W on two sides by suctioning corners of the luggage W with the suction pads 532 provided on the inner wall surfaces 531a and 531b.

In addition, under the control of the control device 70, the air compressor 534 generates a pressure (positive pressure) higher than atmospheric pressure inside the internal flow path 533. In this case, the suction pad 532 injects air from the hole 533a when the internal flow path 533 is put under positive pressure.

Returning to FIG. 2, the arm 54 is a means for moving the gripping unit 53. For example, the arm 54 can be realized by a sliding mechanism, an elevating mechanism, or the like that is movable in the X, Y, and Z directions. The tip of the arm 54 is connected to the gripping unit 53 and supports the gripping unit 53. Under the control of the control device 70 described below, the arm 54 can move the gripping unit 53 to a desired position in three-dimensional space.

The control device 70 is a computer such as a PC (Personal Computer) or a server device. The control device 70 determines the state of frost (degree of icing) on the luggage W from the images captured by the first camera 12 and the second camera 51 and the sensing values acquired by the sensor 52, and controls the unloading operation of the unloading device 50 based on the determination result. The configuration of the control device 70 will be described below.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the control device 70. As shown in Figure 4, the control device 70 includes a processor 71, a first camera interface 72, a second camera interface 73, a sensor interface 74, a conveyor interface 75, a loading/unloading device interface 76, and a memory unit 77.

The processor 71 is an example of a control unit. The processor 71 is realized, for example, by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), etc.

The first camera interface 72 is an example of a first connection unit. The first camera interface 72 is an interface for connecting the first camera 12. The second camera interface 73 is an example of a second connection unit. The second camera interface 73 is an interface for connecting the second camera 51. The sensor interface 74 is an example of a fourth connection unit. The sensor interface 74 is an interface for connecting the sensor 52.

The conveyor interface 75 is an interface for connecting the unloading unit 30. The unloading device interface 76 is an example of a third connection unit. The unloading device interface 76 is an interface for connecting the unloading device 50.

The storage unit 77 is composed of a main storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Random Access Memory), and an auxiliary storage device such as a semiconductor memory element or a hard disk. The storage unit 77 stores various programs executed by the processor 71, setting information, etc. The processor 71 works in cooperation with the programs stored in the storage unit 77 to realize each functional unit described below.

Next, the functional configuration of the control device 70 will be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device 70.

As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 70 has an acquisition unit 711, a determination unit 712, a recognition unit 713, and an operation control unit 714 as functional units. Some or all of these functional units may be software configurations that are realized by the processor 71 executing a program stored in the storage unit 77. In addition, some or all of the functional units may be hardware configurations that are realized by dedicated circuits provided in the processor 71, etc.

The acquisition unit 711 acquires the first image information captured by the first camera 12 via the first camera interface. The acquisition unit 711 also acquires the second image captured by the second camera 51 via the second camera interface 73. The acquisition unit 711 also acquires the sensing result (sensing value) of the sensor 52 via the sensor interface 74.

The acquisition unit 711 may be configured to extract and acquire an image showing the luggage W from the images captured by the first camera 12 and the second camera 51 by recognizing the shape of the pallet P or the luggage W. The acquisition unit 711 may also acquire the sensing value of the sensor 52 at the time the second image is acquired.

The series of first captured images, second captured images, and sensing values acquired by the acquisition unit 711 are stored in the storage unit 77 etc. in association with each other. Specifically, each time a pallet P loaded with luggage W is transported, the acquisition unit 711 stores in the storage unit 77 the first captured image and the second captured image captured during the transport of the pallet P in association with the sensing value of the sensor 52.

The first captured image, the second captured image, and the sensing value may be temporarily stored until unloading of the luggage W is complete, or may continue to be stored even after unloading of the luggage W is complete. In the latter case, for example, each set of the first captured image, the second captured image, and the sensing result stored in the memory unit 77 can be stored in association with the actually measured frost condition of the luggage W (degree of icing, described below), etc., and used as learning data for machine learning.

The determination unit 712 determines the state of frost on the surface of the luggage W, i.e., the degree of icing, based on the series of first captured images, second captured images, and sensing values acquired by the acquisition unit 711. Specifically, the determination unit 712 derives a value indicating the degree of icing (hereinafter also referred to as the icing degree) as a determination result based on the first captured image, second captured image, and sensing values most recently stored in the memory unit 77.

Here, the degree of icing may be expressed as a binary value indicating the presence or absence of icing, or may be expressed in multiple levels. For example, the degree of icing may be expressed in five levels, ranging from level L1, where there is no icing, to level L5, where icing is at its most advanced stage. Below, an example in which the degree of icing is expressed in five levels will be described.

In addition, various methods can be used to determine the degree of icing. As one example, the determination unit 712 may compare the first captured image with the second captured image and derive the degree of icing based on the amount of change between the two captured images. In this case, the degree of icing may be derived based on, for example, the amount of change (increase) in the white component or the amount of change (increase) in the luminance value contained in the first captured image and the second captured image.

As another example, the degree of icing may be derived using a trained model obtained by machine learning the relationship between each set of the first captured image, the second captured image, and the sensing value and the degree of icing of the luggage W actually measured under the conditions of that set (teacher data). In this case, the determination unit 712 inputs the first captured image, the second captured image, and the sensing value acquired by the acquisition unit 711 into the trained model, and acquires the inference result (degree of icing) output by the trained model as the determination result.

The trained model may be created by the control device 70, or may be created in advance by another device. The trained model may also be created from the first captured image and the second captured image and teacher data. In this case, the determination unit 712 inputs the first captured image and the second captured image acquired by the acquisition unit 711 into the trained model, and acquires the inference result (degree of icing) output by the trained model as the judgment result.

The recognition unit 713 recognizes the luggage W to be unloaded from the captured image acquired by the acquisition unit 711. Specifically, the recognition unit 713 performs image recognition of the size, shape, position, etc. of the luggage W loaded on the pallet P from the first captured image before frost adheres to the luggage W. Furthermore, if information such as an individual identifier (hereinafter also referred to as individual information) is attached to the top surface of the luggage W, the recognition unit 713 may perform image recognition of the individual information attached to the luggage W from the first captured image. Publicly known technology can be used for image recognition.

The captured image to be recognized by the recognition unit 713 is not limited to the first captured image, but may be the second captured image. In this case, the recognition unit 713 may control the timing of image recognition of the second captured image according to the determination result of the determination unit 712. For example, when the determination unit 712 determines that the degree of icing is level L2 or higher, the recognition unit 713 may perform image recognition from the second captured image newly acquired by the acquisition unit 711 after air is sprayed from the gripper 53 under the control of the operation control unit 714 described later. Furthermore, when the determination unit 712 determines that the degree of icing is level L1, the recognition unit 713 may immediately perform image recognition from the second captured image acquired by the acquisition unit 711.

The operation control unit 714 controls the operation of the unloading unit 30 and the unloading device 50 based on the processing results of the determination unit 712 and the recognition unit 713.

For example, if the degree of icing determined by the determination unit 712 is a value indicating the presence of frost, such as level L2 to level L4, the operation control unit 714 causes the unloading device 50 to perform an operation to remove the frost adhering to the surface of the luggage W prior to unloading the luggage W.

Specifically, the operation control unit 714 controls the arm 54 of the unloading device 50 to bring the gripping unit 53 closer to the corner of the luggage W to be gripped. Here, the luggage W to be gripped and the corner of the luggage W are determined based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 713.

Then, the operation control unit 714 controls the air compressor 534 of the gripping unit 53 to generate positive air pressure inside the internal flow path 533, thereby spraying air from the suction pad 532 (hole 533a). With this process, the frost adhering to the surface of the luggage W is blown away by the air sprayed from the suction pad 532, and is therefore removed from the surface of the luggage W.

The operation control unit 714 may change the strength of the air injection depending on the degree of icing. In this case, the operation control unit 714 controls the positive pressure generated by the air compressor 534 so that the air injection strength increases as the degree of icing increases. This allows the operation control unit 714 to inject air at the luggage W with an intensity appropriate for the state of frost, thereby allowing for efficient removal of frost.

Next, the operation control unit 714 controls the air compressor 534 of the gripping unit 53 to generate negative air pressure inside the internal flow path 533, thereby causing the corners of the luggage W to be suction-held by the suction pad 532. Then, the operation control unit 714 controls the arm 54 to move the luggage W that has been suction-held by the gripping unit 53 to the fourth conveyor 60.

When the operation control unit 714 determines that all of the luggage W loaded on the pallet P has been unloaded, it controls the operation of the unloading unit 30 to transport the pallet P toward the third conveyor 40. As a result, the emptied pallet P is returned to the freezer warehouse A1 by the third conveyor 40.

As described above, when frost has formed on the surface of the luggage W, the operation control unit 714 executes an air injection process to remove the frost prior to unloading the luggage W. This allows the loading and unloading system 1 to increase the clarity of the image of the luggage W captured by the second camera 51, thereby improving the accuracy of image recognition based on the second captured image. Furthermore, the loading and unloading system 1 can remove frost that would hinder the gripping of the luggage W, allowing the luggage W to be gripped reliably.

In addition, in the cargo handling system 1, the frost adhering to the surface of the luggage W can be removed by using the suction gripping mechanism of the gripping unit 53, i.e., the function of spraying air through the suction pad 532 (hole 533a). This allows the cargo handling system 1 to efficiently remove frost at the position where the suction pad 532 grips, so that the luggage W can be gripped more reliably.

The operation control unit 714 performs the above-mentioned processing for each piece of luggage W loaded on the pallet P, but the processing procedure can be changed as appropriate. For example, the operation control unit 714 may be configured to sequentially spray air and unload each piece of luggage W loaded on the pallet P. As another example, the operation control unit 714 may spray air to remove frost from each piece of luggage W that can be brought close to the gripper 53, and then sequentially unload the pieces of luggage W.

For example, if the degree of icing determined by the determination unit 712 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (hereinafter also referred to as the first threshold), such as level L5, the operation control unit 714 determines that the cargo W cannot be unloaded due to the influence of frost, and performs a reject process to return the cargo W to the freezer warehouse A1.

Specifically, when the degree of icing is equal to the first threshold, the operation control unit 714 suppresses the execution of the gripping operation or unloading operation of the luggage W. Next, the operation control unit 714 controls the operation of the unloading unit 30 to transport the pallet P held by the unloading unit 30 toward the third conveyor 40. As a result, the pallet P loaded with the luggage W is returned to the freezer warehouse A1 by the third conveyor 40.

In addition, for example, if the degree of icing determined by the determination unit 712 is less than a threshold value (hereinafter also referred to as the second threshold value, where the first threshold value is greater than the second threshold value) such as level L1, which indicates that there is no frost or only a small amount of frost, the operation control unit 714 immediately unloads the luggage W without injecting air.

In this way, the operation control unit 714 switches the operation of the unloading device 50, i.e., the unloading method, depending on the state of frost on the luggage W. This allows the unloading device 50 to unload the luggage W in a manner appropriate for the state of frost, making it possible to efficiently unload frozen or refrigerated luggage W.

An example of the operation of the control device 70 will be described below with reference to FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing performed by the control device 70.

First, when a pallet P loaded with luggage W is transported on the first conveyor 10, the first camera 12 captures an image of the pallet P from above at the position of the imaging box 11. In response, the acquisition unit 711 acquires a first captured image captured by the first camera 12 (step S11).

The pallet P transported on the first conveyor 10 is then transported by the second conveyor 20 to the unloading section 30. Then, when the pallet P is held (set) in the unloading section 30, the second camera 51 captures an image of the pallet P from above. In response to this, the acquisition unit 711 acquires a second captured image captured by the second camera 51 (step S12). The acquisition unit 711 also acquires a sensing value of the sensor 52 (step S13).

Here, the various data acquired in steps S11, S12, and S13 are stored as a series of data regarding the luggage W loaded on the same pallet P.

Next, the determination unit 712 determines the degree of frost on the surface of the luggage W based on the various data acquired in steps S11, S12, and S13 (step S14). In addition, the recognition unit 713 performs image recognition of the position, shape, etc. of the luggage W included in the captured image based on the first captured image and the second captured image acquired in steps S11 and S12 (step S15).

Then, the operation control unit 714 controls the operation of the unloading unit 30 and the unloading device 50 based on the processing results of steps S14 and S15. Specifically, the operation control unit 714 determines whether the degree of icing determined in step S14 is equal to or greater than a first threshold value indicating a frost state that makes unloading impossible (step S16). Here, if the degree of icing is equal to or greater than the first threshold value (step S16; Yes), the operation control unit 714 inhibits the unloading operation of the unloading device 50 and proceeds to step S23.

If the degree of icing is less than the first threshold (step S16; No), the operation control unit 714 determines that unloading is possible (step S16; Yes) and proceeds to step S17. In step S17, the operation control unit 714 determines whether the degree of icing is less than a second threshold indicating that there is no frost or that the frost is minimal (step S17). Here, if the degree of icing is less than the second threshold (step S17; Yes), the operation control unit 714 proceeds to step S18.

In step S18, the operation control unit 714 controls the gripper 53 and the arm 54 to unload the luggage W (step S18). The operation control unit 714 then repeats the process of step S18 until all luggage W has been unloaded (step S19; No), and when unloading of all luggage W has been completed (step S19; Yes), proceeds to step S23.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S17 that the degree of icing is equal to or greater than the second threshold (step S17; No), the operation control unit 714 controls the gripping unit 53 and the arm 54 to spray air onto the luggage W with an intensity according to the degree of icing (step S20). This removes the frost that has adhered to the surface of the luggage W.

Then, the operation control unit 714 controls the gripping unit 53 and the arm 54 to cause the gripping unit 53 to suction and grip the defrosted luggage W, thereby unloading the luggage W (step S21). Next, the operation control unit 714 determines whether or not all luggage W loaded on the pallet P has been unloaded, and if there is luggage W on the pallet P (step S22; No), the process returns to step S20. Furthermore, if the operation control unit 714 determines that unloading of all luggage W has been completed (step S22; Yes), the process proceeds to step S23.

If luggage W is found on the pallet P in step S22, the process may be returned to step S12 instead of step S20. This allows the degree of icing to be determined based on the real-time state of the luggage W, improving the accuracy of determining the degree of icing for each luggage W.

Then, the operation control unit 714 controls the unloading unit 30 to move the pallet P to the third conveyor 40, thereby transporting the pallet P to the freezer warehouse A1 (step S23), and ends this process.

The control device 70 executes the above process each time a pallet P is transported from the freezer warehouse A1 to the room temperature warehouse A2. In other words, the control device 70 unloads the cargo W on a pallet P basis.

As described above, the control device 70 acquires a first image of the luggage W captured by the first camera 12 and a second image of the luggage W captured by the second camera 51 during the process of the luggage W being moved from the freezer warehouse A1 to the unloading device 50, determines the state of frost adhering to the surface of the luggage W based on the first and second images, and switches the operation of the unloading device 50 in accordance with the determination result. As a result, the unloading device 50 can unload the luggage W using an unloading method suited to the state of frost, allowing for efficient unloading of frozen or refrigerated luggage W.

The control device 70 can also use the sensing results of the sensor 52, along with the first and second captured images, to determine the state of frost on the surface of the luggage W. This allows the control device 70 to determine the state of frost on the surface of the luggage W with greater accuracy, and therefore allows the unloading device 50 to operate in a manner suitable for the state of frost.

In addition, when the control device 70 determines that frost is present on the luggage W, it controls the air compressor 534 provided in the unloading device 50 to inject air onto the luggage W prior to the unloading device 50 gripping the luggage W. This allows the loading and unloading system 1 to remove frost that has adhered to the surface of the luggage W, thereby reducing the impact of frost on the unloading of the luggage W.

The control device 70 also generates positive or negative air pressure in the air compressor 534, thereby switching between the air injection operation by the gripping unit 53 (suction pad 532) and the gripping operation of the luggage W by the gripping unit 53 (suction pad 532). As a result, the cargo handling system 1 can efficiently remove frost at the position where the suction pad 532 grips the luggage W, making it possible to grip the luggage W more reliably. In addition, in the above configuration, the frost can be removed using the mechanism for suction gripping that the gripping unit 53 has, so there is no need to provide a separate mechanism for removing frost. Therefore, the cargo handling system 1 can easily and efficiently remove frost that has adhered to the surface of the luggage W.

In addition, the control device 70 controls the intensity of the air sprayed onto the luggage W depending on the degree of frost on the luggage W. This allows the control device 70 to spray air with an intensity appropriate for the state of frost on the surface of the luggage W, thereby allowing for efficient removal of frost.

In addition, when the control device 70 determines that the degree of frost on the luggage W is equal to or greater than the first threshold value, it inhibits the unloading device 50 from gripping the luggage W (unloading operation). As a result, the control device 70 can inhibit the unloading operation of the unloading device 50 when the luggage W cannot be unloaded normally due to the influence of frost, thereby inhibiting operations that could lead to unloading errors or reduced unloading performance.

In addition, when the control device 70 determines that there is no frost on the luggage W, it causes the unloading device 50 to start the gripping operation of the luggage W. As a result, when there is no effect of frost, the control device 70 can immediately unload the luggage W without performing the air injection process, so that the luggage W can be unloaded efficiently.

The above-described embodiment can be modified as appropriate by changing a portion of the configuration or function of each of the above-described devices. Therefore, below, some modified examples of the above-described embodiment will be described as other embodiments. Note that below, differences from the above-described embodiment will be mainly described, and detailed descriptions of commonalities with the contents already described will be omitted. Also, the modified examples described below may be implemented individually or in appropriate combination.

(Variation 1)
In the above embodiment, the transport devices such as the first conveyor 10, the second conveyor 20, and the third conveyor 40 are excluded from the objects controlled by the control device 70, but these transport devices may also be configured to operate under the control of the control device 70. This allows the control device 70 to control the overall operation of the cargo handling system 1, thereby enabling efficient cooperative operation of each device. Note that the layout of the cargo handling system 1 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 1.

(Variation 2)
In the above embodiment, the control device 70 is configured to be provided separately from the unloading device 50, but this is not limiting, and the control device 70 may be configured to be provided integrally with the unloading device 50. In this case, the unloading device 50 (loading device) itself may be defined as the control device.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the second camera 51 and the sensor 52 are configured to be provided integrally with the unloading device 50, but this is not limiting and they may be configured to be provided separately from the unloading device 50. In this case, for example, a structure similar to the imaging box 11 may be provided at the position of the unloading section 30, and the second camera 51 or the sensor 52 may be provided on that structure.

(Variation 3)
In the above embodiment, the gripping portion 53 has an L-shaped cross section and is configured to suck and grip the corners of the luggage W with two surfaces, but is not limited to this shape and configuration. For example, the gripping portion 53 may suck and grip the top or side surface of the luggage W with one surface. The gripping portion 53 may also be configured to be able to pinch the corners of the luggage W with two fingers (first finger and second finger). In this case, an injection port for injecting air supplied from the above-mentioned air compressor 534 is provided between the first finger and the second finger, etc.

The unloading device 50 may also include an injection unit (not shown) for injecting air supplied from an air compressor 534, separate from the gripping unit 53. In this case, the injection unit may have an outlet for injecting air, and may be configured to be movable by a second arm similar to the arm 54. When removing frost adhering to the luggage W, the control device 70 can achieve the same effect as the above-described embodiment by performing an air injection process with the injection unit prior to the gripping operation of the gripping unit 53.

The arm 54 is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, but may be an arm with a multi-joint configuration. Furthermore, the loading device controlled by the control device 70 is not limited to the unloading device 50, but may be another type of loading device such as a loading device.

(Variation 4)
In the above embodiment, the freezer warehouse A1 corresponds to the first environment, and the room temperature warehouse A2 corresponds to the second environment, and a configuration has been described in which the temperature changes from "low" to "high" as the luggage W moves. However, the environmental change is not limited to this example, and the temperature may change from "high" to "low."

The index defining the first environment and the second environment is not limited to temperature, and may be another index. For example, the first environment and the second environment may be defined based on another index such as humidity.

Although several embodiments (variations) of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention and its equivalents as set forth in the claims.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 cargo handling system 10 first conveyor 11 imaging box 12 first camera 20 second conveyor 30 cargo unloading section 40 third conveyor 50 cargo unloading device 51 second camera 52 sensor 53 gripping section 54 arm 60 fourth conveyor 70 control device 711 acquisition section 712 determination section 713 recognition section 714 operation control section W luggage P pallet

Claims (9)

a first connection unit connected to a first imaging device installed in a first environment;
a second connection unit connected to a second imaging device installed in a second environment;
A third connection portion is connected to a loading device that grasps and loads an article that has been moved from the first environment , which is a temperature lower than the second environment, to the second environment; and
a control unit that acquires a first captured image of the article captured by the first imaging device via the first connection unit and a second captured image of the article captured by the second imaging device via the second connection unit, and transmits a determination result of a state of frost adhering to a surface of the article based on the first captured image and the second captured image via the third connection unit;
A control device comprising: The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit transmits a determination result for switching the operation of the loading device based on a state of frost adhering to a surface of the item via the third connection unit. a fourth connection portion connected to a detection device for detecting a temperature or humidity of the second environment;
3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines the state of frost adhering to the surface of the item using the detection results of the detection device obtained via the fourth connection unit in addition to the first captured image and the second captured image. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when the control unit determines that frost is attached to the item, the control unit controls a compressed air supply device equipped in the loading device to spray air onto the item prior to the loading device gripping the item. an outlet for air jetted from the compressed air supply device is provided in a gripping section for suctioning and gripping the article;
The control device according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit switches between the air ejection action by the gripper and the gripping action of the object by the gripper by generating positive or negative air pressure in the compressed air supply device. The control device according to claim 4 or 5 , wherein the control unit controls a spray intensity of the air sprayed onto the object in accordance with a degree of frost formed on the object. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control unit suppresses the gripping operation of the item by the loading device when it is determined that the degree of frost on the item is equal to or greater than a threshold value. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to cause the loading device to start a gripping operation of the object when it is determined that no frost has adhered to the object. a first imaging device installed in a first environment;
a second imaging device installed in a second environment;
A loading device that grips and loads an object that has been moved from the first environment , which is lower in temperature than the second environment, to the second environment;
a control device that acquires a first image of the article captured by the first imaging device and a second image of the article captured by the second imaging device, and transmits a determination result of a state of frost adhering to a surface of the article based on the first image and the second image to the loading and unloading device;
A loading and unloading system having:

Images