WO2023155521A1

WO2023155521A1 - Sorting system, sorting method, control method and storage medium

Info

Publication number: WO2023155521A1
Application number: PCT/CN2022/133382
Authority: WO
Inventors: 程云建
Original assignee: 北京京东乾石科技有限公司
Priority date: 2022-02-16
Filing date: 2022-11-22
Publication date: 2023-08-24
Also published as: CN114535102A

Abstract

A sorting system, comprising: a conveying device (11), which is configured to carry an item to be sorted to move in a sorting area; a scanning device (12), which is configured to scan said item and to determine a sorting port corresponding to said item; a tracking device (13), which is configured to determine the position of said item on the conveying device; and a prompting device (14) , which is configured to display, when the distance between the position of said item and the corresponding sorting port is less than or equal to a predetermined first distance, prompt information to give a sorter a prompt that the item has arrived at the sorting port. The system improves the accuracy of semi-automatic item sorting. Further disclosed are a sorting method, a sorting control method, a sorting control device and a storage medium.

Description

Sorting system, sorting method, control method and storage medium

Cross References to Related Applications

This application is based on the application with CN application number 202210142148.3 and the application date is February 16, 2022, and claims its priority. The disclosure content of this CN application is hereby incorporated into this application as a whole.

technical field

The disclosure relates to the technical field of intelligent logistics, in particular to a sorting system, a sorting method, a control method and a storage medium.

Background technique

In the logistics distribution link, the delivery site of the logistics terminal needs to sort the express items in each community. There are three methods of manual sorting, semi-automatic sorting and automatic sorting in the related art.

Manual sorting requires staff to unload the goods from the transfer vehicle, and then identify the face sheet with human eyes to determine the terminal area to which it belongs, thereby completing the manual sorting process.

Semi-automatic sorting combines conveyor belts to achieve goods to people without moving people. The goods arrive at the manual picking position along with the conveyor belt; the sorting personnel at each station then identify the face sheet and complete the sorting process. Compared with manual sorting, the semi-automatic sorting method shortens the walking distance of the sorter and improves the sorting speed.

The automatic sorting method is to use automatic sorting equipment (such as cross-belt sorter) to realize sorting, realize automatic bagging, face sheet identification and automatic bagging, and the whole process does not require manual participation.

However, the automated sorting equipment is complex, requires a large space, and is costly, making it difficult to deploy and use in distribution stations with small spaces. Both the manual method and the semi-automatic method need to manually identify the face sheet and search for the corresponding mark on it. The staff can determine whether the courier belongs to their own area by identifying the identification field on the face sheet.

Contents of the invention

One object of the present disclosure is to improve the accuracy of semi-automated sorting.

According to an aspect of some embodiments of the present disclosure, a sorting system is proposed, including: a conveying device configured to carry items to be sorted and move in the sorting area; a scanning device configured to scan the items to be sorted The item is to determine the sorting port corresponding to the item to be sorted; the tracking device is configured to determine the position of the item to be sorted on the conveying device; the prompting device is configured to match the position of the item to be sorted with the corresponding When the distance of the sorting port is less than or equal to the predetermined first distance, a prompt message is displayed to remind the sorter that the item arrives at the sorting port.

In some embodiments, the prompting device includes a projection lamp configured to project light onto a target item as prompt information, wherein the target item is an item to be sorted whose distance from the corresponding sorting port is less than or equal to a predetermined first distance.

In some embodiments, the prompting device further includes a pan/tilt configured to control the projection direction of the projection light to follow the movement of the target item according to the position determined by the tracking device.

In some embodiments, the scanning device includes a radio frequency reading device configured to read the radio frequency tags attached to the items to be sorted by radio frequency scanning.

In some embodiments, the scanning device includes an image acquisition device configured to determine the sorting port corresponding to the item to be sorted by scanning the image of the item to be sorted.

In some embodiments, the scanning device is a multi-sided scanning device configured to scan at least two sides of the item to be sorted.

In some embodiments, the multi-sided scanning device is configured to scan every side of the item to be sorted except the side that is in contact with the conveyor.

In some embodiments, the system further includes: an alarm device configured to issue an alarm message when an abnormality occurs in the item to be sorted.

In some embodiments, the abnormality of the items to be sorted includes one or more of the following: the scanning device fails to determine the sorting port corresponding to the items to be sorted; the tracking device tracks that the items to be sorted miss the corresponding sorting or an item appears at the abnormal port, where the abnormal port is located after all the sorting ports along the conveying direction of the conveyor.

In some embodiments, each sorting port corresponds to one or more prompting devices.

In some embodiments, the colors or patterns of the light projected by the prompting devices corresponding to different sorting ports are different.

In some embodiments, the sorting system further includes a controller, which is respectively connected to the scanning device, the tracking device and the prompting device, configured to: establish the corresponding items to be sorted and the corresponding sorting ports according to the information from the scanning device The association relationship; control the tracking device to track the corresponding items to be sorted and obtain the position, and judge whether the distance between the position and the associated sorting port is less than or equal to the predetermined first distance; between the position and the associated sorting port When the distance is less than or equal to the predetermined first distance, the prompting device is triggered to display prompting information.

In some embodiments, the prompting device includes: a projection lamp configured to project light to a target item as prompt information, wherein the target item is an item to be sorted whose distance from the corresponding sorting port is less than or equal to a predetermined first distance and the cloud platform, configured to control the projection direction of the projection lamp to follow the movement of the target item; the system also includes a calibration device configured to: obtain the adjustment parameters of the cloud platform and the adjustment parameters of the tracking device during the system calibration process, wherein , the pan/tilt controls the projection lamp to project light onto the calibration board, and the tracking device acquires the image of the corresponding calibration board; calibrate the pan/tilt and the tracking device according to the adjustment parameters of the calibration board at each predetermined position of the pan/tilt and the tracking device, so that the pan/tilt according to The position determined by the tracking device adjusts the projection direction of the projection lamp in real time, wherein the interval between the predetermined positions is a predetermined second distance.

According to an aspect of some embodiments of the present disclosure, a sorting method is proposed, including: determining the sorting port corresponding to the item to be sorted by scanning the item to be sorted on the conveying device; The position of the sorted item on the conveying device; when the distance between the position of the item to be sorted and the corresponding sorting port is less than or equal to the predetermined first distance, a prompt message is displayed through the prompt device to remind the sorter that the item arrives Sorting port.

In some embodiments, the prompt information includes: light projected by the projection lamp to the target item, wherein the target item is an item to be sorted whose distance from the corresponding sorting port is less than or equal to a predetermined first distance.

In some embodiments, displaying the prompt information includes: projecting light toward the target item through the projection lamp, and controlling the projection direction of the projection lamp to follow the movement of the target item according to the position determined by the tracking device.

In some embodiments, scanning the items to be sorted on the conveying device includes: reading the radio frequency tags attached to the items to be sorted by radio frequency scanning; The image of the face sheet.

In some embodiments, acquiring the image of the face slip of the item to be sorted on the conveying device by image scanning includes: acquiring the face slip of the item to be sorted by scanning at least two sides of the item to be sorted.

In some embodiments, the method further includes: sending out an alarm message when the item to be sorted is abnormal.

In some embodiments, the method further includes: during the system calibration process, controlling the projection lamp to project light onto the calibration plate by adjusting the pan/tilt, and obtaining an image of the corresponding calibration plate by adjusting the tracking device; An adjustment parameter of a calibration plate at a predetermined position, wherein the interval between the predetermined positions is a predetermined second distance; according to the adjustment parameters of the calibration plate at each predetermined position, the pan tilt and the tracking device are calibrated so that the pan tilt The projection direction of the projection lamp is adjusted in real time according to the position determined by the tracking device.

According to an aspect of some embodiments of the present disclosure, a sorting control method is proposed, including: obtaining the sorting port corresponding to the item to be sorted determined by the scanning device, wherein the scanning device scans the items to be sorted on the conveying device Items to be sorted, determine the sorting port corresponding to the item to be sorted; establish the relationship between the corresponding item to be sorted and the sorting port; control the tracking device to track the corresponding item to be sorted so as to determine that the item to be sorted The position on the device; obtain the position fed back by the tracking device, and judge whether the distance between the position and the associated sorting port is less than or equal to the predetermined first distance; the distance between the position and the associated sorting port is less than or equal to the predetermined first distance In the case of distance, trigger the prompt device to display prompt information.

In some embodiments, the control method further includes: during the system calibration process, acquiring the adjustment parameters of the pan/tilt of the prompting device and the adjustment parameters of the tracking device, wherein the pan/tilt controls the projection lamp of the prompting device to project light onto the calibration board , the tracking device acquires the image of the corresponding calibration plate; calibrate the pan/tilt and the tracking device according to the adjustment parameters of the pan/tilt and the tracking device for the calibration plate at each predetermined position, so that the pan/tilt can adjust the projection direction of the projection lamp in real time according to the position determined by the tracking device , wherein the interval between the predetermined positions is a predetermined second distance.

According to an aspect of some embodiments of the present disclosure, a sorting control device is proposed, including: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor is configured to perform any of the above-mentioned operations based on instructions stored in the memory. A sorting control method.

According to an aspect of some embodiments of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which computer program instructions are stored, and when the instructions are executed by a processor, the steps of any one of the sorting control methods above are implemented .

Description of drawings

The drawings described here are used to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure, and constitute a part of the present disclosure. The schematic embodiments of the present disclosure and their descriptions are used to explain the present disclosure, and do not constitute improper limitations to the present disclosure.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of some embodiments of the sorting system of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of other embodiments of the sorting system of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of some other embodiments of the sorting system of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of some embodiments of the sorting method of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart of some embodiments of the calibration process in the sorting method of the present disclosure.

Fig. 6 is a flowchart of some embodiments of the sorting control method of the present disclosure.

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of some embodiments of the sorting control device of the present disclosure.

Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of other embodiments of the sorting control device of the present disclosure.

Detailed ways

The technical solution of the present disclosure will be described in further detail below with reference to the drawings and embodiments.

The inventor found that although the manual or semi-automatic methods in related technologies have low requirements for floor space and low deployment costs, taking the semi-automatic method as an example, as the items to be sorted continue to flow into the conveyor belt, the sorting personnel need to pay attention at all times The face sheet on the item even needs to be turned over manually to ensure that the face sheet can be seen, and then determine whether it belongs to your own jurisdiction. During the sorting process, the sorter needs to be highly concentrated, and the processing time for a single product should be less than 500ms; if there is no gap between the products, the processing time should be even shorter. The labor intensity of the picker is very high, and when working for a long time, due to eye fatigue, the identification of the face sheet is not timely or even makes mistakes, which affects the accuracy and efficiency of sorting.

A schematic diagram of some embodiments of the sorting system of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 1 . The sorting system includes a conveying device 11 , a scanning device 12 , a tracking device 13 and a prompting device 14 .

The conveying device 11 can carry the items to be sorted and move in the sorting area, passing through each sorting port in sequence. In some embodiments, the sorting port is a predetermined position or area along the conveying device, and no additional equipment needs to be configured, for workers or automatic picking robots to perform picking of items at the current sorting port at this position or area, from The items are removed from the conveyor and placed in a predetermined location for subsequent delivery. In some embodiments, the position of the sorting port can be provided with equipment that is different from other positions along the conveying device, such as the opening of the baffle or the item conveying equipment along the direction away from the conveying device, so that on the one hand, it is convenient for the staff to locate the sorting device. The pick mouth, on the other hand, is also convenient for removing and transporting items. In some embodiments, the conveying device 11 may be a conveying belt. As shown in FIG. 1 , the conveying direction of the conveying belt is moving from one side close to the scanning device 12 to the other side.

The scanning device 12 can determine the sorting port corresponding to the item to be sorted by scanning the item to be sorted.

In some embodiments, the scanning device 12 may include an image acquisition device, which scans images of items to be sorted to acquire information on the face sheet. For example, the scanning device 12 may be a barcode or two-dimensional code scanner, which determines the sorting port corresponding to the item to be sorted by scanning the barcode or two-dimensional code on the face sheet. The scanning device 12 may also be an image recognition device, which determines the sorting port corresponding to the item by identifying the sorting port mark on the face sheet. In some embodiments, the scanning device 12 may pre-store the corresponding relationship between the barcode or two-dimensional code and the sorting port, or obtain the corresponding relationship between the barcode or two-dimensional code and the sorting port from a related server or controller. Such a system can realize the reading of face sheets routinely used in related technologies, and is conducive to real-time popularization and application.

In some embodiments, the scanning device 12 may also include a radio frequency reading device capable of reading radio frequency tags, such as RFID (Radio Frequency Identification, radio frequency identification) tags, through radio frequency scanning. In some embodiments, radio frequency tags may be attached to the items to be sorted, and the information stored in the radio frequency tags includes delivery-related information such as the order number, delivery address, and sorting port of the item. Item descriptions may be included. In some embodiments, the radio frequency tags can be attached to the surface or inside of the items to be sorted, or can be attached to or integrated with the surface slip. Such a system can fully consider the information carrying advantages of radio frequency tags, improve the ability to support different information storage modes, and improve the efficiency of information reading.

The tracking device 13 is able to determine the position of the items to be sorted on the conveyor. In some embodiments, the tracking device may include pressure sensors distributed on the conveyor belt to track the position of the item on the conveyor by tracking pressure position, moving speed based on the conveyor belt, and the like. In some other embodiments, the tracking device can also be a camera device, which locks the items to be sorted through image acquisition and feature analysis, and then determines the position of the items to be sorted on the conveying device according to the changes in the image, as shown in Figure 1 The beam direction from which the tracking device 13 is based shows the image acquisition direction of the tracking device 13 , which direction can vary with the movement of the object to be picked.

The prompting device 14 can display prompt information to remind the sorter that the item arrives at the sorting port when the distance between the position of the item to be sorted and the corresponding sorting port is less than or equal to a predetermined first distance. In some embodiments, the prompting device 14 may include a projection lamp, which shows that the item is close to the sorting port by projecting light to the item to be sorted. In FIG. Raycasting, the direction can change with the movement of the item to be picked. In some embodiments, the projecting direction can change with the change of the image collection direction of the tracking device 13, so as to realize the movement with the object. In some embodiments, the prompting device 14 can project light of different colors to the items to be sorted corresponding to different sorting ports, so as to improve the degree of discrimination and facilitate identification and selection by relevant staff.

In some embodiments, the above-mentioned distance from the corresponding sorting port is less than or equal to the predetermined first distance, which may be 0.5 meters to 2 meters from the cut-off position of the sorting port along the conveying direction, so as to facilitate the timely response of the staff and avoid prompting information Staggered to further improve the sorting accuracy.

The system in the above embodiment can display prompt information to the staff through the prompt device during the semi-automatic sorting process, thereby avoiding the reliance on the staff to manually identify the face sheet, reducing the work pressure of the staff, and also reducing the error rate , improving the accuracy of semi-automatic item sorting.

In some embodiments, the prompting device 14 may include a projection light and a pan/tilt, wherein the pan/tilt can control the projection light to change the direction of projected light. The pan/tilt follows the position of the item to be sorted determined by the tracking device 13, and changes the direction of the light projected by the projection device, so as to ensure that the projected light can reach the target object when the distance between the item and the corresponding sorting port is less than or equal to the predetermined first distance. During the period of time before the staff picks, it always falls on the item, thereby improving the accuracy of prompting the staff, further avoiding wrong picking, and improving the accuracy of item sorting.

In some embodiments, the scanning device 12 is a multi-sided scanning device capable of synchronously scanning images of at least two sides of the item to be sorted. Such a system can increase the probability of face sheets being scanned by the scanning device, and reduce the probability of manual adjustment or subsequent re-sorting due to face sheets being on the bottom. In some embodiments, at least two surfaces of the items to be sorted may be required to be attached with face sheets, so as to avoid the situation that the face sheets are located on the bottom surface and need to be turned manually, and further improve the recognition probability.

In some embodiments, the multi-face scanning device can have one or more mirrors and multiple scanning heads (such as cameras), wherein one scanning head scans the top of the article, and each mirror corresponds to a side direction, reflecting the side image of the article. To the scanning head corresponding to the mirror, so that the scanning head can scan the face sheet attached to the side of the item. The number of scanning heads and the number of mirrors of the multi-surface scanning device can be set according to cost and space requirements. In some embodiments, the multi-sided scanning device can scan every surface of the item to be sorted except the surface that is in contact with the conveying device. Since the surface sheet is attached to at least two sides of the item, this way can ensure that the surface sheet can Recognized, avoid manual flipping operations, reduce the probability of subsequent manual sorting, and improve sorting efficiency.

Based on the methods in the above embodiments, scanning can be completed through optical principles, reducing the requirements for the deployment position of the scanning head, improving space utilization, reducing the size requirements for system deployment space, and facilitating use in distribution stations with limited space.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, wherein, the transmission device 21, the scanning device 22, the tracking device 23 and the prompting device 24 are respectively the same as the transmission device 11, the scanning device 12, the tracking device 13 and the prompting device 14 in FIG. same or similar.

There can be one or more tracking devices 23 in the sorting system. By splicing the collection areas of a single tracking device 23 or multiple tracking devices 23, the area of the conveying device can be covered to ensure the tracking of all items on the conveying device.

The number of prompting devices 24 in the sorting system is not less than the number of picking ports. In some embodiments, each picking port has at least one corresponding prompting device, and the prompting information of the prompting devices of the same picking port is the same (such as using the same color or patterned projected light), the prompt information of the prompting device of different picking ports can be different (such as using different colors or patterns and easily distinguishable projected light), as shown in Figure 2, different patterns are used in the figure to represent different colors or patterns The projected light rays correspond to sorting

ports

3, 1, 4 and 2 in the figure respectively. Such a system can facilitate staff identification and differentiation, further improving the accuracy of sorting.

In some embodiments, the sorting system can also include a warning device 25, which can send a warning message in the event of an abnormal item to be sorted. On the face sheet of the items to be sorted, the scanning device based on radio frequency reading fails to read the radio frequency tag, or the sorting port cannot be determined based on the obtained information. The alarm device 25 can issue an alarm according to the abnormal signal from the scanning device. In some embodiments, the abnormality of the items to be sorted can also be triggered by the appearance of items at the abnormal port 26 . In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2 , along the conveying direction of the conveying device, after passing through all the sorting ports, the articles in the conveying device will fall into the abnormal port 26, and the articles falling into the abnormal port 26 may be The items missed by the picker may also be items for which the scanning device 22 failed to confirm the sorting port. In some embodiments, the warning device can be a sounding device such as a sound, a horn, etc., so that the staff can be notified of the abnormality in time.

Such a sorting system can trigger alarms in time, which is convenient for staff to manually handle abnormal situations and improves the reliability of item sorting.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3 , the transmitting device 31 , the scanning device 32 , the tracking device 33 , the prompting device 34 and the warning device 35 are respectively the same as the transmitting device 21 , the scanning device 22 , the tracking device 23 , the prompting device in FIG. 2 . The means 24 and the warning means 25 are the same or similar. In Figure 3, 4 sorting ports are taken as an example (sorting

port

3, 1, 4, 2), each sorting port corresponds to a tracking device, and each tracking device includes a projection lamp and a pan/tilt, which should be sorted to The items to be sorted corresponding to the sorting port project the light of the color or pattern corresponding to the sorting port. At the same time, each sorting port is equipped with a staff member. When the staff member finds that the item to be sorted on the conveying device is projected with the light of the color or pattern corresponding to the current sorting port, he removes the item and puts it into the current sorting port. The area corresponding to the mouth. Items that have not been selected will be put into the exception port, waiting for subsequent processing.

Such a sorting system can further reduce the work difficulty of each worker, reduce the probability of errors, and improve the accuracy of sorting.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3 , the sorting system may further include a controller 37 connected to the scanning device 32 , the tracking device 33 and the prompting device 34 respectively. The controller 37 serves as a meeting point for other devices, and can process information from each device, and after processing, send out a signal that triggers the actions of other devices.

In some embodiments, the controller 37 can establish an association relationship between the corresponding item to be sorted and the corresponding sorting port according to the information from the scanning device. In some embodiments, the information sent by the scanning device may be the scanning result of a barcode or a two-dimensional code, and the controller 37 determines the corresponding sorting port through pre-stored information or querying the server, and then establishes an association with the item to be sorted relation. Further, the controller 37 controls the tracking device to track the item to be sorted, obtains the position of the item to be sorted fed back by the tracking device, and then judges whether the distance between the position and the associated sorting port is less than or equal to a predetermined first distance. When the distance between the position and the associated sorting port is less than or equal to the predetermined first distance, the prompting device is triggered to display prompting information.

Such a sorting system can use a controller with computing functions as the central control, thereby reducing the intelligent requirements for other devices, reducing equipment costs, and facilitating deployment and use.

In some embodiments, the sorting system can also include a calibration device, which is used to adjust the parameters of the tracking device and the prompting device during the initial calibration process of the system, so that the two can synchronize the locking of the position on the conveying device. Specifically, it can The position projected by the projection lamp is the position tracked by the tracking device, and moves synchronously with the movement of the corresponding item. In some embodiments, the function of the calibration device can be realized by the controller 37, so that the calibration process can be used as an initialization link of the controller 37, reducing the use of additional devices.

In some embodiments, during the calibration process of the system, the calibration plate can be placed on the conveying device, and the conveying device does not work at this time and remains in a static state. The calibration board can be a tool with an easily distinguishable color or pattern (such as a board with black and white grids), which can be identified by the tracking device. At the initial moment, manually adjust the position of the gimbal to zero. Then control the gimbal to project light to the calibration plate. At this time, the adjustment parameter of the gimbal is the adjustment parameter corresponding to the gimbal coordinate system when the position of the calibration plate being projected is in the coordinate system of the gimbal; the tracking device also tracks the For the calibration board, the adjustment parameters of the tracking device at this time are the adjustment parameters corresponding to the coordinate system of the tracking device when the image of the calibration board is located in the coordinate system of the tracking device. In such a case, the calibration device obtains the adjustment parameters of the gimbal and the adjustment parameters of the tracking device. Since the position of the corresponding calibration plate remains unchanged, the corresponding relationship between the gimbal and the coordinate system of the tracking device at the current calibration plate position can be obtained, and the calibration of the adjustment parameters of the gimbal at the current position and the adjustment parameters of the tracking device can be realized . In some embodiments, the adjustment parameters of the tracking device may include the image acquisition angle of the tracking device, and may also include position information of the calibration plate image on the image captured by the tracking device.

Considering that at different positions on the conveying device, a plurality of calibration plates can be arranged on the conveying device, and every two calibration plates are separated by a predetermined second distance (such as 30-70 cm, in some embodiments, it can be 50 cm, The existence of a certain error is allowed), and the position of the calibration plate can also be moved successively, and the positions moved each time are separated by a predetermined second distance along the conveying direction of the conveying device. The position where the calibration board is placed is called a predetermined position, and the calibration device calibrates the pan/tilt and the tracking device according to the adjustment parameters of the calibration board at each predetermined position of the pan/tilt and the tracking device. In some embodiments, the predetermined second distance can be adjusted according to requirements for calibration accuracy and calibration time.

Such a sorting system can adjust the projection direction of the projection lamp in real time according to the position determined by the tracking device through the pre-calibration operation, thereby further improving the accuracy of item sorting.

In some embodiments, when the prompting device corresponding to a single picking port is only responsible for prompting the item of a single picking port, the prompting device responsible for projecting light to the area can only be adjusted according to the position where the calibration plate is placed, Reduce calibration workload and improve deployment efficiency.

The flowchart of some embodiments of the sorting method of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 4 , and the sorting method is based on any one of the above sorting systems.

In step 450, the items to be sorted on the conveying device are scanned by the scanning device, and the sorting ports corresponding to the items to be sorted are determined.

In step 460, the position of the items to be sorted on the conveying device is determined by the tracking device, such as collecting images of the conveying device area through a camera, tracking the items to be sorted based on the image tracking function of the camera, and determining its position on the conveying device in real time. position on the

In step 470, when the distance between the position of the item to be sorted and the corresponding sorting port is less than or equal to the predetermined first distance, a prompting device is used to display prompt information to remind the sorter that the item arrives at the sorting port. In some embodiments, the projection light of the prompting device can be triggered to project light of a predetermined color or pattern to the position determined by the tracking device, thereby improving the degree of differentiation and facilitating identification and selection by relevant staff.

In some embodiments, the prompting device may include a projection light and a pan/tilt, and the pan/tilt can control the projection light to change the direction of projected light. The pan/tilt follows the position of the item to be sorted determined by the tracking device 13, and changes the direction of the light projected by the projection device, so as to ensure that the projected light can reach the target object when the distance between the item and the corresponding sorting port is less than or equal to the predetermined first distance. During the time period before the staff picks, they always fall on the item, which improves the accuracy of prompting the staff, further avoids wrong picking, and improves the accuracy of item sorting.

Through such a method, the reminder information can be displayed to the staff through the prompt device during the semi-automatic sorting process, thereby avoiding the dependence on the staff to manually identify the face sheet, reducing the work pressure of the staff, and also reducing the error rate. Improved the accuracy of item sorting.

In some embodiments, the scanning device may include a radio frequency reading device capable of reading radio frequency tags by radio frequency scanning. In some embodiments, a radio frequency tag may be attached to the item to be sorted, and the information stored in the radio frequency tag includes one or more items of the item's order number, delivery address, sorting port and other information. In some embodiments, the radio frequency tags can be attached to the surface or inside of the items to be sorted, or can be attached to or integrated with the surface slip. Through such a method, the information carrying advantage of the radio frequency tag can be fully considered, the ability to support different information storage modes can be improved, and the information reading efficiency can be improved.

In some embodiments, the scanning device may include an image acquisition device capable of scanning images of items to be sorted to acquire information on the face sheet. In some embodiments, the image acquisition device can be a barcode or two-dimensional code scanner, which determines the sorting port corresponding to the item to be sorted by scanning the barcode or two-dimensional code on the face sheet; in other embodiments, the image The acquisition device may be an image recognition device, which determines the sorting port corresponding to the item by identifying the sorting port mark on the face sheet. Through such a method, it is possible to realize the reading of the face sheets routinely used in related technologies, which is conducive to real-time popularization and application.

In some embodiments, the scanning device may be a multi-face scanning device, and the scanning device scans images of at least two sides of the item to be sorted to obtain a side slip of the item to be sorted. In some embodiments, it may be required that at least two sides of the items to be sorted have face sheets attached. Through such a method, the probability of face sheets being scanned by the scanning device can be improved, and the probability of requiring manual adjustment or subsequent re-sorting due to the fact that the face sheets are located on the bottom surface can be reduced.

In some embodiments, the sorting method further includes sending out an alarm message when an abnormality occurs in the item to be sorted, such as sending out an alarm sound through a sounding device, so that the staff can be notified of the abnormality in time. The abnormality of the items to be sorted can be that the scanning device based on image acquisition does not scan the face sheet of the items to be sorted, the scanning device based on radio frequency reading does not read the radio frequency tag, or the sorting port cannot be determined based on the scanned information. , or the staff missed sorting. In some embodiments, the occurrence of the abnormality can be determined by whether an object falls into the abnormality opening, or the occurrence of the abnormality can be determined by the information fed back by the scanning device.

Through such a method, an alarm can be triggered in time when the sorting fails, which facilitates the staff to manually handle abnormal situations and improves the reliability of item sorting.

In some embodiments, since the tracking device and the prompting device are relatively independent devices, a calibration operation can be performed before use, so as to synchronize their perception of the position on the conveying device. The flowchart of some embodiments of the calibration process in the sorting method of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 5 .

In step 510, during the calibration process of the system, a calibration plate is placed on the transmission device, and the transmission device does not work at this time, and remains in a static state. The calibration board can be a tool with an easily distinguishable color or pattern (such as a board with black and white grids), which can be identified by the tracking device. At the initial moment, the position of the pan/tilt is adjusted manually (such as directly adjusting the electronic or mechanical adjustment device of the pan/tilt) to return to zero. Then manually control the gimbal to project light to the calibration plate, at this time the position of the projected calibration plate is in the coordinate system of the gimbal; the tracking device also tracks the calibration plate, and the image of the calibration plate obtained at this time is in the coordinate system of the tracking device Department.

In step 520, the adjustment parameters of the pan/tilt and the adjustment parameters of the tracking device are acquired. Since the position of the corresponding calibration plate remains unchanged, the corresponding relationship between the gimbal and the coordinate system of the tracking device at the current calibration plate position can be obtained, and the calibration of the adjustment parameters of the gimbal at the current position and the adjustment parameters of the tracking device can be realized . In some embodiments, the adjustment parameters of the tracking device may include the image acquisition angle of the tracking device, and may also include position information of the calibration plate image on the image captured by the tracking device.

In step 530, the pan/tilt and the tracking device are calibrated according to the adjustment parameters of the calibration plate at each predetermined position by the pan/tilt and the tracking device, so that the pan/tilt can adjust the projection direction of the projection lamp in real time according to the position determined by the tracking device. In some embodiments, when the prompting device corresponding to a single picking port is only responsible for prompting the item of a single picking port, the prompting device responsible for projecting light to the area can only be adjusted according to the position where the calibration plate is placed, Reduce the calibration workload and improve deployment efficiency.

Through such a method, based on the previous calibration operation, the pan/tilt can adjust the projection direction of the projection lamp in real time according to the position determined by the tracking device, thereby further improving the accuracy of item sorting.

In some embodiments, the controller can be used to realize the control of each device in the sorting system. The controller acts as a meeting point of other devices, processes information from each device, and sends a signal that triggers the action of other devices after processing. The flow chart of some embodiments of the sorting control method executed by the controller is shown in FIG. 6 .

In step 650, the controller obtains the sorting port corresponding to the item to be sorted determined by the scanning device, wherein the scanning device scans the face sheet of the item to be sorted on the conveying device, and determines the sorting port corresponding to the item to be sorted. pick mouth. In some embodiments, the information sent by the scanning device may be a barcode or two-dimensional code scanning result, and the controller determines the corresponding sorting port through pre-stored information or querying the server.

In step 660, the controller establishes an association relationship between the corresponding item to be sorted and the sorting port.

In step 670, the controller controls the tracking device to track the item to be sorted, and acquires the position of the item to be sorted fed back by the tracking device.

In step 680, the controller acquires the position fed back by the tracking device, and determines whether the distance between the position and the sorting port associated with the item to be sorted is less than or equal to a predetermined first distance.

In step 690, when the distance between the position and the associated sorting port is less than or equal to the predetermined first distance, the prompting device is triggered to display prompting information.

Through this method, the controller with computing functions can be used as the central control, thereby reducing the intelligent requirements for other devices, reducing equipment costs, and facilitating deployment and use; by controlling the prompting device to give prompt information, avoiding manual identification Single dependence, improve the accuracy of semi-automatic sorting.

In some embodiments, the controller can also perform calibration data collection and calculation functions during the system calibration operation. Specifically, during the system calibration process, when the projection light of the pan/tilt controls the prompting device to project light onto the calibration board, the tracking device When obtaining the image corresponding to the calibration plate, obtain the adjustment parameters of the pan/tilt of the prompting device and the adjustment parameters of the tracking device, and then calibrate the pan/tilt and the tracking device according to the adjustment parameters of the calibration plate at each predetermined position according to the pan/tilt and the tracking device, so that The pan/tilt adjusts the projection direction of the projection lamp in real time according to the position determined by the tracking device.

Through such a method, the pan/tilt can adjust the projection direction of the projection lamp in real time according to the position determined by the tracking device, thereby further improving the accuracy of item sorting.

A schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of the sorting control device of the present disclosure is shown in FIG. 7 , and the sorting control device can be used as a controller in the sorting system. The sorting control device includes a memory 701 and a processor 702 . Wherein: the storage 701 may be a disk, a flash memory or any other non-volatile storage medium. The memory is used to store the instructions in the above corresponding embodiments of the sorting control method. The processor 702 is coupled to the memory 701 and may be implemented as one or more integrated circuits, such as a microprocessor or a microcontroller. The processor 702 is used to execute instructions stored in the memory, which can improve the accuracy of semi-automatic sorting.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8 , the sorting control device 800 includes a memory 801 and a processor 802 . The processor 802 is coupled to the memory 801 through the BUS bus 803 . The sorting control device 800 can also be connected to an external storage device 805 through a storage interface 804 so as to call external data, and can also be connected to a network or another computer system (not shown) through a network interface 806 . No more detailed introduction here.

In this embodiment, the accuracy of semi-automatic sorting can be improved by storing data instructions in the memory and processing the instructions by the processor.

In another embodiment, a computer-readable storage medium stores computer program instructions thereon, and when the instructions are executed by a processor, the steps of the methods in the corresponding embodiments of the sorting control method are realized. Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments of the present disclosure may be provided as methods, apparatuses, or computer program products. Accordingly, the present disclosure can take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable non-transitory storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) having computer-usable program code embodied therein. .

The present disclosure is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that each procedure and/or block in the flowchart and/or block diagram and a combination of procedures and/or blocks in the flowchart and/or block diagram can be realized by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, embedded processor, or processor of other programmable data processing equipment to produce a machine such that the instructions executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing equipment produce a An apparatus for realizing the functions specified in one or more procedures of the flowchart and/or one or more blocks of the block diagram.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory capable of directing a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to operate in a specific manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture comprising instruction means, the instructions The device realizes the function specified in one or more procedures of the flowchart and/or one or more blocks of the block diagram.

These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device, causing a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby The instructions provide steps for implementing the functions specified in the flow chart or blocks of the flowchart and/or the block or blocks of the block diagrams.

So far, the present disclosure has been described in detail. Certain details known in the art have not been described in order to avoid obscuring the concept of the present disclosure. Based on the above description, those skilled in the art can fully understand how to implement the technical solutions disclosed herein.

The methods and apparatus of the present disclosure may be implemented in many ways. For example, the methods and devices of the present disclosure may be implemented by software, hardware, firmware or any combination of software, hardware, and firmware. The above sequence of steps for the method is for illustration only, and the steps of the method of the present disclosure are not limited to the sequence specifically described above unless specifically stated otherwise. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the present disclosure can also be implemented as programs recorded in recording media, the programs including machine-readable instructions for realizing the method according to the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure also covers a recording medium storing a program for executing the method according to the present disclosure.

Finally, it should be noted that: the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure and not to limit them; although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that: the present disclosure can still be Modifications are made to the disclosed specific implementation methods or equivalent replacements are made to some technical features; without departing from the spirit of the technical solutions of the present disclosure, all of them shall be covered by the scope of the technical solutions claimed in the present disclosure.

Claims

A sorting system comprising:

a conveying device configured to carry the items to be sorted and move in the sorting area;

The scanning device is configured to scan the items to be sorted, and determine the sorting port corresponding to the items to be sorted;

a tracking device configured to determine the position of the item to be sorted on the conveyor; and

The prompting device is configured to display prompt information to remind the sorter that the item arrives at the sorting port when the distance between the position of the item to be sorted and the corresponding sorting port is less than or equal to a predetermined first distance.
The sorting system according to claim 1, wherein the prompting device includes a projection lamp configured to project light to the target item as prompt information, wherein the distance between the target item and the corresponding sorting port is less than or equal to Items to be sorted for the first distance.
The sorting system according to claim 2, wherein the prompting device further comprises a pan/tilt configured to control the projection direction of the projection lamp to follow the movement of the target item according to the position determined by the tracking device.
The sorting system according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the scanning device includes a radio frequency reading device configured to read radio frequency tags attached to the items to be sorted by radio frequency scanning.
The sorting system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the scanning device includes an image acquisition device configured to scan the images of the items to be sorted to determine the corresponding classification of the items to be sorted. pick mouth.
The sorting system according to claim 5, wherein the scanning device is a multi-sided scanning device configured to scan at least two sides of the item to be sorted.
The sorting system according to claim 6, wherein the multi-face scanning device is configured to scan every face of the item to be sorted except the face in contact with the conveying device.
The sorting system according to any one of claims 1-3, further comprising an alarm device configured to send out an alarm message when an abnormality occurs in the item to be sorted.
The sorting system according to claim 8, wherein the abnormalities of the items to be sorted include at least one of the following:

The scanning device fails to determine the sorting port corresponding to the item to be sorted;

The tracking device tracks that the item to be sorted misses the corresponding sorting port; or

Articles appear at the abnormal opening, wherein the abnormal opening is located behind all the sorting openings along the conveying direction of the conveying device.
The sorting system according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein each sorting port corresponds to one or more prompting devices.
The sorting system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the colors or patterns of the light projected by the prompting devices corresponding to different sorting ports are different.
The sorting system according to any one of claims 1-3, further comprising a controller connected to the scanning device, the tracking device and the prompting device respectively, configured to:

Establishing a corresponding relationship between the item to be sorted and the corresponding sorting port according to the information from the scanning device;

controlling the tracking device to track the corresponding item to be sorted and acquiring the position, and judging whether the distance between the position and the associated sorting port is less than or equal to a predetermined first distance; and

In a case where the distance between the position and the associated sorting port is less than or equal to a predetermined first distance, the prompting device is triggered to display prompting information.
The sorting system according to claim 3, further comprising a calibration device configured to:

During the system calibration process, the adjustment parameters of the pan-tilt and the adjustment parameters of the tracking device are obtained, wherein the pan-tilt controls the projection lamp to project light onto the calibration board, and the tracking device obtains the corresponding calibration board images; and

Calibrate the pan-tilt and the tracking device according to the adjustment parameters of the calibration plate at each predetermined position by the pan-tilt and the tracking device, so that the pan-tilt can adjust the projection in real time according to the position determined by the tracking device The projection direction of the lamp, wherein the interval between the predetermined positions is a predetermined second distance.
A sorting method, comprising:

Determining the sorting port corresponding to the item to be sorted by scanning the item to be sorted on the conveying device;

determining the position of the item to be sorted on the conveyor by means of a tracking device; and

When the distance between the position of the item to be sorted and the corresponding sorting port is less than or equal to the predetermined first distance, the prompting device displays prompt information to remind the sorter that the item arrives at the sorting port.
The sorting method according to claim 14, wherein the prompt information includes: the light projected by the projection lamp to the target item, wherein the distance between the target item and the corresponding sorting port is less than or equal to the predetermined first distance items to be sorted.
The sorting method according to claim 14, wherein the displaying prompt information comprises: projecting light to target items through a projection lamp, and controlling the projection direction of the projection lamp to follow the position determined by the tracking device. Target object movement.
The sorting method according to claim 14, wherein said scanning the items to be sorted on the conveying device comprises:

reading the radio frequency tags attached to the items to be sorted by radio frequency scanning; or

The images of the face sheets of the items to be sorted on the conveying device are acquired through image scanning.
The sorting method according to any one of claims 14-16, wherein said acquiring the image of the face sheet of the item to be sorted on the conveying device through image scanning comprises: scanning the item to be sorted At least two faces of the item to be sorted to obtain the face list of the item to be sorted.
The sorting method according to any one of claims 14-16, further comprising: sending out an alarm message when the item to be sorted is abnormal.
The sorting method according to claim 16, further comprising:

During the system calibration process, control the projection lamp to project light onto the calibration board by adjusting the pan/tilt, and obtain an image corresponding to the calibration board by adjusting the tracking device;

Obtain the adjustment parameters of the calibration plate of the pan/tilt and the tracking device for each predetermined position, wherein the interval between the predetermined positions is a predetermined second distance; and

Calibrate the pan-tilt and the tracking device according to the adjustment parameters of the calibration plate at each predetermined position by the pan-tilt and the tracking device, so that the pan-tilt can adjust the projection in real time according to the position determined by the tracking device The projection direction of the light.
A sorting control method, comprising:

Obtaining the sorting port corresponding to the item to be sorted determined by the scanning device, wherein the scanning device scans the item to be sorted on the conveying device, and determines the sorting port corresponding to the item to be sorted;

Establishing a corresponding relationship between the item to be sorted and the sorting port;

controlling the tracking device to track the corresponding items to be sorted so as to determine the position of the items to be sorted on the conveying device;

Acquiring the position fed back by the tracking device, and determining whether the distance between the position and the associated sorting port is less than or equal to a predetermined first distance; and

When the distance between the position and the associated sorting port is less than or equal to the predetermined first distance, the prompting device is triggered to display prompting information.
The sorting control method according to claim 21, further comprising:

During the system calibration process, the adjustment parameters of the pan/tilt of the prompting device and the adjustment parameters of the tracking device are acquired, wherein the pan/tilt controls the projection lamp of the prompting device to project light onto the calibration board, and the tracking The device acquires an image corresponding to the calibration plate; and

Calibrate the pan-tilt and the tracking device according to the adjustment parameters of the calibration plate at each predetermined position by the pan-tilt and the tracking device, so that the pan-tilt can adjust the projection in real time according to the position determined by the tracking device The projection direction of the lamp, wherein the interval between the predetermined positions is a predetermined second distance.
A sorting control device, comprising:

storage; and

A processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to perform the method of claim 21 or 22 based on instructions stored in the memory.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, on which computer program instructions are stored, and the steps of the method described in claim 21 or 22 are implemented when the instructions are executed by a processor.