IP Library Granted Patent US 11,933,745
Granted Patent B2
US 11,933,745 · App. 17/188,136 · Granted Mar 19, 2024

Inspection apparatus and non-transitory recording medium storing inspection program

Inventors: Yuka Watanabe (Inagi, JP); Takuma Akagi (Tokyo, JP); Masanori Sato (Yamato, JP); Kenichi Shimoyama (Tokyo, JP)
Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA; Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corporation
G01N23/10B07C5/3412G01N2223/306G01N2223/309
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,933,745
App. No.
17/188,136
Granted
Mar 19, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

According to an embodiment, an inspection apparatus includes a communication interface and a processor. The communication interface acquires package information regarding a package being conveyed by a sorter that sorts the package and an operation signal generated based on an operation of an operator. The processor outputs reference information, based on past history in which inspection-result information indicating whether or not the package is a regulated-article candidate, generated based on the operation signal, and the package information are associated together, and the package information newly acquired.

Claims (52)

1. An inspection apparatus comprising:

a communication interface that acquires package information regarding a package being conveyed by a sorter that sorts the package and an operation signal generated based on an operation of an operator; and

a processor that outputs reference information, based on past history in which inspection-result information indicating whether or not the package is a regulated-article candidate, generated based on the operation signal, and the package information are associated together, and the package information newly acquired,

wherein the processor:

generates, based on an X-ray image of the package and a parameter generated based on data for learning including the X-ray image as a problem and a position of a regulated article on the X-ray image as an answer, a candidate image indicating a region estimated to include the regulated article on the X-ray image, and

adds the candidate image to the reference information,

the reference information including: an EAD identification code read by an EAD-tag reader; sender information and addressee information included in the package information; information on regulated-article presence/absence in a past transaction and a past trouble included in a past history; an image captured by a camera; the X-ray image captured by an X-ray image capturing apparatus; and the candidate image.

2. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the package information includes name-and-address information corresponding to the package, and

the processor generates the reference information, based on a number of the packages each as the regulated-article candidate, extracted from the past history, in agreement on the name-and-address information.

3. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the package information includes name-and-address information corresponding to the package, and

the processor

adds, in response to reception of the operation signal indicating that the package includes a regulated article, information indicating that the package includes the regulated article, to the inspection-result information, and

generates the reference information, based on a number of the packages each including the regulated article, extracted from the past history, in agreement on the name-and-address information.

4. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the package information includes name-and-address information corresponding to the package, and

the processor

adds, based on the operation signal, a reason for sorting indicating a reason that the package is determined as the regulated-article candidate by the operator, to the inspection-result information, and

generates the reference information, based on a number of the packages each having the reason for sorting previously set, extracted from the past history.

5. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the package information includes the X-ray image of the package, and

the processor

generates the inspection-result information indicating whether or not the operator has determined that the package is the regulated-article candidate, based on the operation signal generated based on an input of whether or not the package is the regulated-article candidate, resulting from verification of the X-ray image by the operator, and

generates the reference information, based on a parameter generated based on data for learning including the X-ray image as a problem and the inspection-result information as an answer, and the X-ray image newly acquired.

6. The inspection apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein

the processor

adds, based on the operation signal, a reason for sorting indicating a reason that the package is determined as the regulated-article candidate by the operator, to the inspection-result information, and

adds, based on the parameter and the X-ray image, a reason that the package is estimated to be the regulated-article candidate, to the reference information.

7. The inspection apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein

the processor updates the parameter, based on the data for learning.

8. The inspection apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein

the processor adds, to the inspection-result information, an operator identification code for identifying the operator, and

the processor updates the parameter with a different weight for each of the operators having generated the data for learning.

9. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the data for learning is data generated based on an operation of the operator on the X-ray image, the data including, as the answer, X-ray-image regional information indicating a region on the X-ray image.

10. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the data for learning is data generated based on an operation of the operator on the X-ray image, the data including, as the answer, X-ray-image regional information indicating a region on the X-ray image and a reason for sorting indicating a reason that the package is determined as the regulated-article candidate by the operator.

11. The inspection apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein

the processor generates, based on the parameter and the X-ray image, the candidate image indicating the region estimated to include the regulated-article candidate on the X-ray image and the reason for sorting.

12. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the communication interface acquires name-and-address information from sender information and addressee information displayed on the package.

13. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the communication interface acquires, from a recording medium storing a plurality of pieces of EAD information including sender information and addressee information in advance, EAD information in agreement on an EAD identification code read from the package, and acquires name-and-address information included in the acquired EAD information, and

the package information includes at least either the sender information or the addressee information for the name-and-address information.

14. A non-transitory recording medium storing an inspection program that an inspection apparatus including a communication interface and a processor executes, the inspection program causing the inspection apparatus to perform:

acquiring, by the communication interface, package information regarding a package being conveyed by a sorter that sorts the package and an operation signal generated based on an operation of an operator; and

outputting, by the processor, reference information, based on past history in which inspection-result information indicating whether or not the package is a regulated-article candidate, generated based on the operation signal, and the package information are associated together, and the package information newly acquired,

wherein the processor:

generates, based on an X-ray image of the package and a parameter generated based on data for learning including the X-ray image as a problem and a position of a regulated article on the X-ray image as an answer, a candidate image indicating a region estimated to include the regulated article on the X-ray image, and

adds the candidate image to the reference information,

the reference information including: an EAD identification code read by an EAD-tag reader; sender information and addressee information included in the package information; information on regulated-article presence/absence in a past transaction and a past trouble included in the past history; an image captured by a camera; the X-ray image captured by an X-ray image capturing apparatus; and the candidate image.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Jul 29, 2025
From: TOSHIBA INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
To: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
Reel/Frame 072239/0263 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 1, 2021
From: WATANABE, YUKA; AKAGI, TAKUMA; SATO, MASANORI; SHIMOYAMA, KENICHI
To: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA; TOSHIBA INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 055443/0303 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2018-166854 · Sep 6, 2018 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2019034605 · Sep 3, 2019
Related Publication 20210181124A1 · Jun 17, 2021