EP4265345A1 - Détection des objets en recirculation - Google Patents

Détection des objets en recirculation Download PDF

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Publication number
EP4265345A1
EP4265345A1 EP22169504.2A EP22169504A EP4265345A1 EP 4265345 A1 EP4265345 A1 EP 4265345A1 EP 22169504 A EP22169504 A EP 22169504A EP 4265345 A1 EP4265345 A1 EP 4265345A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
piece goods
general cargo
complex
data
detection system
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
EP22169504.2A
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German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Marco Fischer
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Koerber Supply Chain Logistics GmbH
Original Assignee
Koerber Supply Chain Logistics GmbH
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Koerber Supply Chain Logistics GmbH filed Critical Koerber Supply Chain Logistics GmbH
Priority to EP22169504.2A priority Critical patent/EP4265345A1/fr
Priority to PCT/EP2023/059864 priority patent/WO2023202961A1/fr
Publication of EP4265345A1 publication Critical patent/EP4265345A1/fr
Pending legal-status Critical Current

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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
    • B07C5/00—Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or measure such characteristic or feature; Sorting by manually actuated devices, e.g. switches
    • B07C5/36—Sorting apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
    • B07C3/00—Sorting according to destination
    • B07C3/02—Apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution
    • B07C3/08—Apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution using arrangements of conveyors

Definitions

  • the invention relates to the automation of logistics systems for piece goods with return.
  • the objects to be sorted are transported as 2D/3D bulk goods on conveyor belts to a singulation system (e.g. Visicon, Robot, Variotip).
  • a singulation system e.g. Visicon, Robot, Variotip.
  • An oriented 1D stream with defined gaps between the objects is then generated.
  • the objects are piece goods that need to be sorted, such as packages, shipping goods or even pieces of luggage. Typical applications can be found, for example, in sorting systems at airports or postal or other logistics service providers.
  • shipment “general cargo” and “object” are essentially used synonymously below.
  • Errors arise due to inadequacies in the sorting and/or singulating system (for example in mechanical components, in the recognition technology or in special feeding situations) or certain types of objects.
  • the errors can include, for example, double deductions, incorrect orientation of a piece of goods or an inadequate gap to the next object.
  • An automatic detection system detects these errors and can recirculate the relevant shipments and reintroduce them into the singulating system via a recirculation conveyor route (round-trip route, loop).
  • the cause may be an error in detection, whereby a single object is incorrectly detected as a double print.
  • error detections can also be found on defective objects, open shipments (e.g. open packages or suitcases), irregularly shaped objects (e.g. L-shaped boxes), special prints or stickers on the objects, protruding stickers or strips of adhesive tape, glued objects, which are also cannot be separated from each other when singulated again.
  • the present invention is based on the object of optimizing the operation of a logistics system for piece goods with return.
  • the invention relates to a logistics system for piece goods.
  • the logistics system includes a main conveyor line, a detection system, a rejection system and a recirculation conveyor line.
  • the main conveyor route is designed to feed piece goods to the detection system and to convey them further downstream.
  • the rejection system is designed to feed piece goods that were fed to the detection system from the main conveyor line to the recirculation conveyor line.
  • the recirculation conveyor line is designed to re-supply piece goods that were fed to it by the rejection system to the detection system.
  • the recognition system is set up to generate a data set for a piece goods complex supplied to it, by means of which the piece goods complex can be identified.
  • a general cargo complex can include a single piece of cargo or several piece of cargo.
  • a general cargo complex may be or include a general cargo cluster that has not been correctly singulated.
  • a piece goods complex is a single, singular piece of goods.
  • the detection system is also set up to detect an error that affects a piece goods complex supplied to it and to cause the rejection system to feed the error-affected piece goods complex to the recirculation conveyor line.
  • the detection system is also set up to store at least those data sets which can be used to identify piece goods complexes supplied to the recirculation conveyor section.
  • the detection system is also set up to compare data sets with one another and, if two or more data sets match, to classify this match as evidence of a piece goods complex repeatedly affected by errors.
  • the invention relates to a method for providing data or for operating a logistics system for piece goods.
  • Piece goods are conveyed in the logistics system along a main conveyor route to an automatic detection system.
  • the detection system automatically detects an error that affects a general cargo complex.
  • the recognition system automatically creates an initial data set that can be used to identify the piece goods complex. Due to the detected error, the piece goods complex is removed from the main conveyor line onto a recirculation conveyor line.
  • the recirculation conveyor section causes the piece goods complex to be fed again to the detection system.
  • the detection system recognizes the error affecting the piece goods complex again and creates a second data set, by means of which the recirculated piece goods complex can be identified.
  • the recognition system recognizes a match between the first and second data sets and, based on this, classifies the first and second data sets as identifying the same piece goods complex and the piece goods complex as repeatedly affected by errors.
  • the logistics system includes a singulator.
  • the singulator is designed to sing piece goods supplied to the detection system.
  • the error due to which the detection system causes the rejection system to feed the faulty piece goods complex to the recirculation conveyor line is an error in the singulation of the piece goods complex. This creates the conditions for automatically detecting incorrectly identified piece goods.
  • the method step of recognizing a match between the first and second data sets includes comparing the second data set with a plurality of stored data sets.
  • the recognition system is set up to carry out a preferably time-based search space restriction when comparing data sets. This enables comparisons of data sets to be carried out efficiently.
  • the detection system is also set up to determine a probability of the agreement of two or more threshold values and, when a threshold value is exceeded, to classify the agreement as evidence of a piece goods complex repeatedly affected by errors.
  • the logistics system is a sorting system.
  • the data contained in a data record is also used to sort the piece goods assigned to the data record.
  • synergies can be used by not carrying out complex analyzes of piece goods in an unnecessarily redundant manner, since the data contained in a data record can also be used to sort the piece goods assigned to the data record.
  • the logistics system includes a manual processing station.
  • the detection system is set up to cause the rejection system to deliver a complex of piece goods affected by multiple errors to the manual processing station. This allows the recirculation conveyor line to be automatically relieved by automatically feeding a piece goods complex that is classified as affected by multiple errors to a manual processing station.
  • identical or identically acting elements can each be provided with the same reference numerals.
  • the elements shown and their size ratios to one another are generally not to be viewed as true to scale; rather, individual elements can be shown with relatively larger dimensions for better display and/or better understanding.
  • FIG. 1 shows schematically a logistics system 1 for piece goods which includes an automatic exception detection system 3 with a 3-way split 4 and recirculation 5.
  • the logistics system 1 includes a main conveyor line 2, a detection system 3, a rejection system 4, a recirculation conveyor line 5, a singulation system 6, a manual processing station 7, a merging system 8 and a control system 9.
  • the control system 9 is designed and adapted to control the logistics system 1, or at least a selection of the systems 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
  • At least the recognition system 3 includes hardware and software or logic.
  • the hardware includes a camera system 39 or other imaging system with a monitoring area, as well as a control system 38.
  • the software or logic can be implemented in the control system 38 and connected directly to the rejection system 4 in order to control it.
  • at least part of the software or logic of the detection system 4 can be implemented in the higher-level control system 9 of the logistics system 1.
  • functionalities of the detection system 3 are therefore implemented in the control system 9, as can be seen by the dashed block 3 which represents the detection system 3 and which overlaps with the control system 9.
  • the main conveyor line 2 is designed to guide piece goods from a feeder 21 to the merging system 8, from this to the singulation system 6, from this to the recognition system 3, from this to the rejection system 4, and from this to possible further processing systems 22.
  • feeding systems can be arranged which carry out logistical processing steps for the piece goods.
  • the piece goods can be delivered in a disorderly manner similar to bulk goods, and the upstream systems generate a single-layer piece goods stream from piece goods stored one on top of the other, which is fed to the merging system 8.
  • the piece goods are fed to the singulation system 6, where the single-layer piece goods supplied are separated.
  • the piece goods stream with superimposed piece goods is fed to the singulation system 6 and the singulation system 6 generates a single-layer singulated stream of piece goods from this.
  • the recognition system 3 includes a camera system which is designed to generate digital images of the piece goods supplied to the recognition system 3.
  • the piece goods are optimally fed to the detection system 3 singly. However, if an error occurs in the singulation system 6, it can happen, for example, that the recognition system 3 receives a piece goods cluster 24 which includes two or more unsingulated piece goods.
  • the detection system 3 is supplied with piece goods complexes 23, 24 by the singing system 6, which can be a correctly singulated piece goods 23 or a faulty piece goods cluster 24.
  • the reference number 23 generally denotes general cargo complexes that only include correctly separated general cargo
  • the reference number 24 denotes general cargo complexes generally refer to general cargo clusters that include several general cargoes.
  • the recognition system 3 is set up to detect from one or more of the digital images using digital image processing whether a piece of goods has been correctly separated or whether it is part of a piece of goods cluster.
  • the recognition system 3 is thus set up to recognize whether a piece goods complex 23, 24 is a correctly separated piece goods 23 or an error-containing piece goods cluster 24.
  • the recognition system 3 therefore has the task of monitoring the quality of the singing.
  • the discharge system can also include two 2-way splitters, with a first of the 2-way splitters being designed to discharge a piece of goods in a complex manner from the main conveyor line to the recirculation conveyor line 5, while a second of the 2-way splitters is designed to to supply a general cargo complex from the main conveyor line 2 to the manual processing station 7.
  • the detection system 3 interprets a piece goods complex 23, 24 as correctly separated piece goods 23 and thus as not affected by errors, it controls the rejection system 4 so that it conveys the piece goods complex 23, or in other words this piece goods 23, further along the main conveyor line 2.
  • the recognition system 4 recognizes that the supplied piece goods complex is one If it is a general cargo cluster 24 that includes two or more non-singulated general cargo, the recognition system interprets this general cargo complex 24 as not being correctly separated and therefore as affected by errors and controls the discharge system 4 so that it feeds the general cargo cluster to the recirculation conveyor line 5.
  • the recognition system 3 is also set up to generate a data set 33, 34, 35, 36 for each feed of a piece goods complex 24 recognized as being affected by errors to the recognition system 4, by means of which the piece goods complex can be identified.
  • a data set 33, 34, 35, 36 can include, for example, a fingerprint of the piece goods complex, which represents geometric, optical and/or physical properties of the piece goods complex, for example in the form of a vector or .
  • the extracted data can also be concatenated into a number or a string, which then forms a fingerprint, e.g. length_width_height_color.
  • a deep learning process can also be used to determine a value or a character string from the image that cannot be directly assigned to human-understandable values such as “length”.
  • the recognition system is set up to generate a data set only for those piece goods complexes that were recognized as being affected by errors. According to an alternative exemplary embodiment, the recognition system is set up to generate a data set for other or all piece goods complexes supplied to the recognition system.
  • the recognition system 3 is also set up to store at least those data sets 33, 34, 35, 36 in a database 31, by means of which piece goods complexes supplied to the recirculation conveyor section 5 can be identified. Alternatively, data sets of all piece goods complexes supplied to the recognition system 3 can also be generated and saved.
  • the recirculation conveyor line 5 is designed to first feed a cluster of piece goods of incorrectly singulated piece goods, which was fed to it from the rejection system 4, to the singulation system 6 again via the merging system 8.
  • the logistics system does not include a separate merging system 8, but the recirculation conveyor section 5 is designed to re-supply a piece goods cluster of incorrectly singulated piece goods, which was fed to it by the rejection system 4, directly to the singulation system 6.
  • the recirculation conveyor section 5 can include one or more belt conveyors.
  • the singulation system 6 correctly singulates the recirculated piece goods cluster in this pass, the correctly singulated piece goods are fed to the recognition system 6.
  • the recognition system 6 recognizes these piece goods complexes as correctly singulated piece goods and controls the rejection system 4 so that these singulated piece goods are fed further along the main conveyor route to the further processing systems 22.
  • the recognition system 3 will recognize the general cargo complex again as a general cargo cluster and thus interpret it as affected by errors and create a second data set 34 for this general cargo cluster, by means of which the general cargo complex 24 can be identified again.
  • the recognition system compares this second data set 34 with the data sets stored in the database 31. If the second data set 34 matches the first data set stored in the database 31, the recognition system 3 classifies the first and second data sets 31, 34 as identifying the same general cargo complex and the general cargo complex as repeatedly affected by errors or as already recirculated at least once, and controls this Rejection system 4 to feed this general cargo complex to the manual processing station 7.
  • the recognition system 3 can also be set up to only eject the piece goods complex in question into the manual processing station 7 if three or more data sets match. In this way, it can be prevented that the manual processing station is placed under unnecessary strain if two passes through the singulation system are not enough to singulate a cluster of general cargo.
  • the rejection system 4 is arranged downstream of the detection system 3.
  • the rejection system 4 and the detection system 3 can be arranged in a common section of the main conveyor line 2 or can partially overlap one another.
  • the camera system of the detection system 3 covers a surveillance area, which also includes the rejection system 4.
  • the singing system 6 is arranged upstream of the detection system 3.
  • the singing system 6 and the detection system 3 can be arranged in a common section of the main conveyor line 2 or can partially overlap one another.
  • the camera system of the detection system 3 covers a surveillance area, which also includes the singing system 6.
  • the detection system 3 can also cover a monitoring area which covers both the singing system 6 and the rejection system 4.
  • the error that affects a piece goods complex supplied to the recognition system 3 is a singulation error.
  • the error that does not affect a piece goods complex supplied to the recognition system 3 is not a singulation error, but another error.
  • Such an exemplary embodiment of a logistics system which is like the exemplary embodiment of Figure 1 can be used in a sorting system Figure 2 shown schematically.
  • Figure 2 shows a logistics system 101 for piece goods such as packages or luggage.
  • the sorting system 101 is constructed similarly to the logistics system 1, but the logistics system 1 does not include a singulation system and a modified recognition system 103.
  • a baggage sorting system such as that used in airports, this is usually not necessary because the pieces of luggage are already sent to the sorting system individually an operator or a passenger.
  • Labels are attached to or on the piece goods, which represent a sorting target.
  • the sorting destination can be, for example, an addressee or a sorting or distribution center to which the parcel is to be transported.
  • the sorting destination can be, for example, a destination or intermediate destination of a piece of luggage, such as a destination airport.
  • the information required for this can be attached to the label, for example in the form of a barcode, in the form of plain text, or stored in a readable manner in another information carrier such as an RFID.
  • the recognition system 103 does not succeed in extracting the information necessary for sorting, for example because a label is damaged or covered, the piece goods in question are recognized by the recognition system 3 as being affected by errors and the piece goods are discharged onto the recirculation conveyor line 5.
  • the error is a sorting target that is at least not completely readable.
  • the recognition system 103 is set up to generate a data set for each piece of goods, by means of which the piece of goods can be identified.
  • the recognition system 103 is also set up to read out the target destination on the labels and to use it in the further processing systems 22, which can include a sorter, for example, for sorting the piece goods. If a sorting target for a piece of goods is completely recognized by the recognition system, the recognition system 103 causes the rejection system to feed this piece of goods to the further processing systems 22.
  • the recognition system 103 causes the rejection system 4 to interpret this piece of goods as affected by errors and to feed it to the recirculation conveyor section 5.
  • the recognition system 103 stores a data set for each piece of goods supplied to the recirculation conveyor section 5, by means of which the piece of goods can be identified.
  • An error-affected piece of goods that has been discharged into the recirculation conveyor section 5 is thus fed to the detection system 103 again. If the sorting target is readable this time, for example because the label is no longer covered, the recognition system 103 causes the rejection system 4 to feed the piece goods to the further processing systems 22. If the sorting target is again not readable, the recognition system in turn creates a second data set for this piece of goods, by means of which the piece of goods can be identified and compares the second data set with all data records in the database 31 and finds a match with the previously created first data set of this piece of goods and therefore classifies the general cargo as repeatedly affected by errors and causes the rejection system 4 to feed the piece goods to the manual processing station 7.
  • the recognition system 3 is set up to carry out a preferably time-based search space restriction when comparing data sets.
  • the restriction can be made, for example, on the basis of the circulation time of a piece of goods around the recirculation conveyor route, whereby only data sets are compared with each other, the creation of which, for example, was created slightly longer than one or more circulation times.
  • the search space restriction can also be clocked based on rotation times, so that, for example, only data sets that were created in a time interval that cover one or more points in time that are exactly one or more rotation times ago are compared.
  • the recognition system may not be able to recognize a complex of cargo with 100% certainty, but must calculate an overall probability based on different factors by weighting the individual matches (e.g. length 100% the same, width 90% the same, color identical, height 50% the same). that it is a previously seen piece of goods. Accordingly, a threshold value (e.g. 80% security) must be used to decide which action will follow.
  • a threshold value e.g. 80% security
  • the logistics system is a sorting system, and the data contained in a data record will additionally be used for sorting the piece goods assigned to the data record.
  • the detection system can be connected to other systems of the sorting system, for example a sorter.
  • the recognition system 3, 103 is set up to transmit data or data sets to the sorter or the other other systems of the sorting system, which include, for example, a fingerprint or a barcode or another identification by means of which the piece goods can be identified or can be sorted. In this way, synergies can be used for error detection and sorting. For example, time-consuming, unnecessary multiple fingerprint investigations can be avoided.
  • the creation of an image fingerprint bridge is trained on the recognition system using deep learning methods.
  • the rejection system is designed to selectively feed piece goods that have been fed to the recognition system 3 to a manual processing station 7.
  • the detection system 3 is set up to cause the rejection system 4 to feed a complex of piece goods affected by multiple errors to the manual processing station 7.
  • a data record comprises an identifier by means of which the piece goods complex can be determined on the basis of which the recognition system created the data record.
  • the logistics system 1, 101 is designed to track a recirculated general cargo complex along the recirculation conveyor route 5. This can be implemented, for example, in such a way that the monitoring area of the detection system 3, 103 covers the entire recirculation conveying route.

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EP22169504.2A 2022-04-22 2022-04-22 Détection des objets en recirculation Pending EP4265345A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP22169504.2A EP4265345A1 (fr) 2022-04-22 2022-04-22 Détection des objets en recirculation
PCT/EP2023/059864 WO2023202961A1 (fr) 2022-04-22 2023-04-17 Détection d'objets en recirculation

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP22169504.2A EP4265345A1 (fr) 2022-04-22 2022-04-22 Détection des objets en recirculation

Publications (1)

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EP4265345A1 true EP4265345A1 (fr) 2023-10-25

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EP22169504.2A Pending EP4265345A1 (fr) 2022-04-22 2022-04-22 Détection des objets en recirculation

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EP (1) EP4265345A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2023202961A1 (fr)

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1999021663A1 (fr) * 1997-10-29 1999-05-06 Sandvik Aktiebolag Appareil et procede de transport et de tri d'articles codes

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2841673B1 (fr) * 2002-06-26 2004-12-03 Solystic Chronomarquage d'objets postaux par signature d'image et machine de tri associee

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1999021663A1 (fr) * 1997-10-29 1999-05-06 Sandvik Aktiebolag Appareil et procede de transport et de tri d'articles codes

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Publication number Publication date
WO2023202961A1 (fr) 2023-10-26

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