IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,833,815
Granted Patent B2
US 9,833,815 · App. 15/119,019 · Granted Dec 5, 2017

Conveying system, plant for sorting bulk goods having a conveying system of this type, and transport method

Inventors: Robin Gruna (Baden-Baden, DE); Kai-Uwe Vieth (Karlsruhe, DE); Henning Schulte (Coburg, DE); Thomas Langle (Eggenstein, DE); Uwe Hanebeck (Waldbronn, DE); Marcus Baum (Gottingen, DE); Benjamin Noack (Karlsruhe, DE)
Assignee: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÖRDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
B07C5/361B07C5/10B07C5/342B07C5/3425B07C2501/0018
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,833,815
App. No.
15/119,019
Granted
Dec 5, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

Conveying system for transporting a material flow (M) comprising a large number of individual objects (O 1 , O 2 , . . . ), characterized in that with the conveying system, by means of optical detection of individual objects (O 1 , O 2 , . . . ) in the material flow (M), for these objects (O 1 , O 2 , . . . ) respectively the location position (x(t),y(t)) thereof at several different times (t −4 , t −3 , . . . ) can be determined and by means of the location positions (x(t),y(t)) for these objects (O 1 , O 2 , . . . ) determined at the different times (t −4 , t −3 , . . . ), respectively the location (x b (t b ),y b (t b )) thereof at at least one defined time (t b ) after the respectively latest of the different times (t −4 , t −3 , . . . ) can be calculated.

Claims (38)

1. A conveying system for transporting a material flow (M) comprising a large number of individual objects (O 1 , O 2 , . . . ),

wherein with the conveying system, by means of optical detection of individual objects (O 1 , O 2 , . . . ) in the material flow (M), for these objects (O 1 , O 2 , . . . ) respectively the location position (x(t),y(t)) thereof at several different, fixed times (t −4 , t −3 , . . . ) can be determined and

by means of the location positions (x(t),y(t)) determined at the different, fixed times (t −4 , t −3 , . . . ), for these objects (O 1 , O 2 , . . . ) respectively the location (x b (t b ),y b (t b )) thereof at the at least one defined time (t b ) after the respectively latest of the different, fixed times (t −4 , t −3 , . . . ) can be calculated.

2. The conveying system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the movement paths ( 1 ) composed of a plurality of location positions (x(t),y(t)) of the respective object at different times (t −4 , t −3 , . . . ) can be determined for the individual objects (O 1 , O 2 , . . . ),

the movement paths of different objects (O 1 , O 2 , . . . ) being able to be determined and/or being able to be differentiated from each other via recursive or non-recursive estimating methods.

3. The conveying system according to claim 1 ,

wherein a movement model can be determined respectively for the objects (O 1 , O 2 , . . . ) by means of the respective movement paths thereof, in particular can be selected from a prescribed quantity of movement models, and/or parameters for such a movement model can be determined.

4. The conveying system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the individual objects (O 1 , O 2 , . . . ) can be classified on the basis of the optical detection.

5. The conveying system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the classification of an object (O 1 , O 2 , . . . ) can be performed by taking into account the location positions (x(t),y(t)) determined for this object at the different, fixed times (t −4 , t −3 , . . . ), the movement path determined for this object and/or the movement model determined for this object.

6. The conveying system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the two-dimensional location positions (x(t),y(t)), in particular two-dimensional location positions relative to the conveying system, can be determined for the objects (O 1 , O 2 , . . . ), or

in that three-dimensional location positions in space can be determined for the objects (O 1 , O 2 , . . . ).

7. The conveying system according to claim 1 ,

wherein with the conveying system, by means of optical detection of the individual objects (O 1 , O 2 , . . . ) in the material flow (M), for these objects (O 1 , O 2 , . . . ) respectively in addition to the location position (x(t),y(t)) thereof, also the orientation thereof at several different times (t −4 , t −3 , . . . ) can be determined and in that, by means of the location positions (x(t),y(t)) and orientations determined at the different times (t −4 , t −3 , . . . ) for these objects (O 1 , O 2 , . . . ), respectively the location (x b (t b ),y b (t b )) thereof at the at least one defined time (t b ) after the respectively latest of the different times (t −4 , t −3 , . . . ) can be calculated.

8. The conveying system according to claim 1 ,

wherein by means of the location positions (x(t),y(t)) and orientations determined at the different times (t −4 , t −3 , . . . ) for these objects (O 1 , O 2 , . . . ), respectively in addition to the location (x b (t b ),y b (t b )) thereof also the orientation thereof at the at least one defined time (t b ) after the respectively latest of the different times (t −4 , t −3 , . . . ) can be calculated.

9. The conveying system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the optical detection is effected by means of one or more optical detection unit(s), which comprises/comprise or preferably is/are one or more surface sensor(s) and/or a plurality of line sensors at a spacing from each other,

and/or

in that, during the optical detection, a sequence of two-dimensional images can be recorded, from which the location positions of the objects at the different times can be determined.

10. The conveying system according to claim 1 ,

wherein within the scope of the optical detection of one or more of the objects (O 1 , O 2 , . . . ) at several different times (t −4 , t −3 , . . . ), images, in particular camera images, of this/these object/s can be produced, in that respectively the shape(s) of this/these object/s in the produced images can be determined and in that respectively a three-dimensional image of this/these objects/s can be calculated from the determined shapes.

11. The conveying system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the calculation of the location(s) of the object/s at the defined time(s) is effected taking into account calculated three-dimensional image/s.

12. The conveying system according to claim 1 ,

wherein classification of the object/s is effected using the calculated three-dimensional image/s.

13. A plant for bulk material sorting comprising a conveying system according to claim 1 ,

wherein a sorting unit with which the objects (O 1 , O 2 , . . . ) can be sorted on the basis of the calculated locations (x b (t b ),y b (t b )) at the defined time(s) (t b ).

14. A plant according to claim 1 ,

wherein the objects can be sorted on the basis of the classification thereof,

the classification being effected into good objects (GO 1 , GO 2 , . . . ) and into bad objects (SO 1 , SO 2 ) and preferably the sorting unit having an ejection unit, in particular a blow-out unit, which is configured to remove bad objects from the material flow (M) using the calculated locations (x b (t b ),y b (t b )) at the defined time(s) (t b ).

15. A method for transporting a material flow (M) comprising a large number of individual objects (O 1 , O 2 , . . . ),

wherein in this method, by means of optical detection of individual objects (O 1 , O 2 , . . . ) in the material flow (M), for these objects (O 1 , O 2 , . . . ) respectively the location position (x(t),y(t)) thereof at several different, fixed times (t −4 , t −3 , . . . ) is determined, and

in that, by means of the location positions (x(t),y(t)) determined at the different, fixed times (t −4 , t −3 , . . . ), for these objects (O 1 , O 2 , . . . ) respectively the location (x b (t b ),y b (t b )) thereof at at least one defined time (t b ) after the respectively latest of the different, fixed times (t −4 , t −3 , . . . ) is calculated,

the method being implemented using a conveying system or a plant according to claim 1 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 14, 2016
From: GRUNA, ROBIN; VIETH, KAI-UWE; SCHULTE, HENNING; LANGLE, THOMAS; HANEBECK, UWE; BAUM, MARCUS; NOACK, BENJAMIN
To: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÖRDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
Reel/Frame 040309/0909 →
Priority Claims (2)
DE 10 2014 203 638 · Feb 28, 2014 · national
DE 10 2014 207 157 · Apr 15, 2014 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160354809A1 · Dec 8, 2016