Granted Patent B2

US 12,570,479 · App. 18/604,892 · Granted Mar 10, 2026

Inventors: Hiroaki Fujihara (Kawasaki Kanagawa, JP); Yasuhiro Ohkawa (Kawasaki Kanagawa, JP); Ippei Takaishi (Kawasaki Kanagawa, JP); Yuhi Minamino (Kawasaki Kanagawa, JP); Reiya Asanuma (Tokyo, JP)

Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA

B65G43/08B65G43/10B65G2203/041B65G2203/042

Abstract

Claims (42)

1 . A supply apparatus comprising:

an input conveyor configured to input an article;

a receiving conveyor configured to receive the article that the input conveyor inputs;

a camera configured to photograph the article placed on the receiving conveyor; and

a processor configured to:

extract an article region where the article appears, from a photography image that the camera photographs;

calculate an area ratio that the article region indicates in the photography image, based on the article region;

stop the input conveyor, based on the area ratio; and

set a stop time for stopping the input conveyor, based on the area ratio, wherein the processor is configured to:

set an area ratio detection region including the receiving conveyor in the photography image;

divide the area ratio detection region into a plurality of divisional regions;

calculate, as the area ratio, an area ratio in each of the divisional regions; and

stop the input conveyor, based on the area ratio of the divisional region in a falling region where the article falls from the input conveyor.

2 . The supply apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to set the stop time, based on the area ratio of the divisional region in a placement region where the article placed on the receiving conveyor appears.

3 . The supply apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to stop the input conveyor, in a case where an average value of the area ratios of the divisional regions in the falling region is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

4 . The supply apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to set the stop time, based on the area ratio of the divisional region in a placement region where the article placed on the receiving conveyor appears.

5 . A supply apparatus comprising:

an input conveyor configured to input an article;

a receiving conveyor configured to receive the article that the input conveyor inputs;

a camera configured to photograph the article placed on the receiving conveyor; and

a processor configured to:

extract an article region where the article appears, from a photography image that the camera photographs;

calculate an area ratio that the article region indicates in the photography image, based on the article region;

stop the input conveyor, based on the area ratio; and

set a stop time for stopping the input conveyor, based on the area ratio, wherein the processor is configured to:

set an area ratio detection region including the receiving conveyor in the photography image;

divide the area ratio detection region into a plurality of divisional regions;

calculate, as the area ratio, an area ratio in each of the divisional regions; and

set the stop time, based on the area ratio of the divisional region in a placement region where the article placed on the receiving conveyor appears.

6 . The supply apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a downstream conveyor configured to transfer the articles that are spaced apart, wherein

the processor is configured to:

estimate a downstream transfer time during which the article placed on the receiving conveyor passes through the downstream conveyor, based on the area ratio of the divisional region in the placement region; and

set the stop time, based on the downstream transfer time.

7 . The supply apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to:

estimate a falling wait time from when the input conveyor is driven until when the article falls onto the receiving conveyor, based on a detection result of detection of a sign of falling from the input conveyor to the receiving conveyor; and

set the stop time, also based on the falling wait time.

8 . The supply apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a falling sign detection sensor configured to detect a sign of falling from the input conveyor to the receiving conveyor, and to output a result of the detection.

9 . The supply apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to set, as the stop time, a time acquired by subtracting the falling wait time from the downstream transfer time.

10 . The supply apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a falling sign detection sensor configured to detect a sign of falling from the input conveyor to the receiving conveyor, and to output a result of the detection.

11 . The supply apparatus of claim 10 , wherein

the falling sign detection sensor includes a first falling sign detection sensor configured to detect the article placed at a predetermined position on the input conveyor, and a second falling sign detection sensor configured to detect the article placed at a position further on an upstream side than the predetermined position, and

the result of the detection includes a first detection result from the first falling sign detection sensor, and a second detection result from the second falling sign detection sensor.

Assignments (2)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (27)