IP Library Patent Application 18742057
Patent Application
App. No. 18/742,057

SORTING APPARATUS, SORTING METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
18/742,057
Abstract

According to an embodiment, the sorting apparatus includes a camera, a recognition unit, and a control unit. The camera captures an article image. The control unit provides an instruction, according to an extraction process of extracting a non-sorting-target feature from the article image captured by the camera and a recognition process of recognizing sorting information on the article image, for sorting an article from which the non-sorting-target feature is extracted through the extraction process to a specific sorting location, and sorting an article from which the non-sorting-target feature is not extracted to a sorting location based on the sorting information.

Claims (47)

1 . A sorting apparatus comprising:

a camera configured to capture an article image; and

a control unit configured to provide an instruction, according to an extraction process of extracting a non-sorting-target feature from the article image captured by the camera and a recognition process of recognizing sorting information on the article image, for sorting an article from which the non-sorting-target feature is extracted through the extraction process to a specific sorting location, and sorting an article from which the non-sorting-target feature is not extracted to a sorting location based on the sorting information.

2 . The sorting apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the control unit is configured to:

execute, as the extraction process, a process of detecting a slip for a non-sorting-target type in the article image captured by the camera; and

provide an instruction, if the slip for the non-sorting-target type is detected, for sorting the article to the specific sorting location.

3 . The sorting apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the control unit is configured to:

execute, as the extraction process, a process of detecting a label attached to an article of a non-sorting-target type in the article image captured by the camera; and

provide an instruction, if the label attached to the article of the non-sorting-target type is detected, for sorting the article to the specific sorting location.

4 . The sorting apparatus according to claim 2 ,

wherein the control unit is configured to:

execute, as the extraction process, a process of detecting a label attached to an article of a non-sorting-target type in the article image captured by the camera; and

provide an instruction, if the label attached to the article of the non-sorting-target type is detected, for sorting the article to the specific sorting location.

5 . The sorting apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the control unit is configured to:

recognize, as the extraction process, a code image extracted from the article image captured by the camera; and

provide an instruction, if code information indicated by the code image includes information indicating a non-sorting-target type, for sorting the article to the specific sorting location.

6 . The sorting apparatus according to claim 2 ,

wherein the control unit is configured to:

recognize, as the extraction process, a code image extracted from the article image captured by the camera; and

provide an instruction, if code information indicated by the code image includes information indicating a non-sorting-target type, for sorting the article to the specific sorting location.

7 . The sorting apparatus according to claim 3 ,

wherein the control unit is configured to:

recognize, as the extraction process, a code image extracted from the article image captured by the camera; and

provide an instruction, if code information indicated by the code image includes information indicating a non-sorting-target type, for sorting the article to the specific sorting location.

8 . The sorting apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a video coding system for receiving an input of sorting information for the article image from which the control unit has not successfully recognized the sorting information or information indicating a non-sorting target,

wherein the control unit is configured to provide an instruction for sorting an article for which the information indicating the non-sorting target is input through the video coding system to the specific sorting location, and sorting an article for which the information indicating the non-sorting target is not input but the sorting information is input through the video coding system to the sorting location based on the input sorting information.

9 . The sorting apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:

a video coding system for receiving an input of sorting information for the article image from which the control unit has not successfully recognized the sorting information or information indicating a non-sorting target,

wherein the control unit is configured to provide an instruction for sorting an article for which the information indicating the non-sorting target is input through the video coding system to the specific sorting location, and sorting an article for which the information indicating the non-sorting target is not input but the sorting information is input through the video coding system to the sorting location based on the input sorting information.

10 . The sorting apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising:

a video coding system for receiving an input of sorting information for the article image from which the control unit has not successfully recognized the sorting information or information indicating a non-sorting target,

wherein the control unit is configured to provide an instruction for sorting an article for which the information indicating the non-sorting target is input through the video coding system to the specific sorting location, and sorting an article for which the information indicating the non-sorting target is not input but the sorting information is input through the video coding system to the sorting location based on the input sorting information.

11 . The sorting apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising:

a video coding system for receiving an input of sorting information for the article image from which the control unit has not successfully recognized the sorting information or information indicating a non-sorting target,

wherein the control unit is configured to provide an instruction for sorting an article for which the information indicating the non-sorting target is input through the video coding system to the specific sorting location, and sorting an article for which the information indicating the non-sorting target is not input but the sorting information is input through the video coding system to the sorting location based on the input sorting information.

12 . A sorting method comprising:

capturing an article image by a camera;

executing an extraction process of extracting a non-sorting-target feature from the article image captured by the camera, and recognizing sorting information on the article image from which the non-sorting-target feature is not extracted through the extraction process; and

sorting an article from which the non-sorting-target feature is extracted through the extraction process to a specific sorting location, and sorting an article from which the non-sorting-target feature is not extracted through the extraction process to a sorting location based on the sorting information.

13 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer connected to a sorter configured to sort an article to:

execute an extraction process of extracting a non-sorting-target feature from an article image captured by a camera;

recognize sorting information on the article image from which the non-sorting-target feature is not extracted through the extraction process; and

instruct the sorter to sort an article from which the non-sorting-target feature is extracted through the extraction process to a specific sorting location, and to sort an article from which the non-sorting-target feature is not extracted through the extraction process to a sorting location based on the sorting information.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Aug 11, 2025
From: TOSHIBA INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
To: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
Reel/Frame 072400/0314 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 13, 2024
From: TAKAISHI, IPPEI; AKAGI, TAKUMA; AOKI, TAKASHI; OHKAWA, YASUHIRO
To: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA; TOSHIBA INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS & SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 067718/0873 →