Detection system, transport system, detection method, and detection program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11544483-B2
Application number	US-202117521035-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2021
Priority date	Jan 26, 2021
Publication date	Jan 3, 2023
Grant date	Jan 3, 2023

Abstract

A detection system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a plurality of proximity sensors provided in a mounting portion of a transport robot; an information acquisition unit that is provided in the mounting portion of the transport robot and that acquires information from an integrated circuit (IC) tag provided in a standard object; and an estimation unit that estimates a placement status of the standard object based on detection results of the proximity sensors and an acquisition result of the information acquisition unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A detection system that detects a standard object placed on a mounting portion of a transport robot, the detection system comprising:
a plurality of proximity sensors provided in the mounting portion;
an information acquisition unit that is provided in the mounting portion and that acquires information from an integrated circuit (IC) tag provided in the standard object;
an estimation unit that estimates a placement status of the standard object based on detection results of the proximity sensors and an acquisition result of the information acquisition unit, wherein:
the proximity sensors are provided such that when the standard object is placed in a preset area of the mounting portion, all the proximity sensors detect the standard object, and when the standard object is not placed in the preset area of the mounting portion, any of the proximity sensors does not detect the standard object; and
the information acquisition unit is provided so as to acquire the information from the IC tag when the standard object is placed in the preset area of the mounting portion and so as not to acquire the information from the IC tag when the standard object is not placed in the preset area of the mounting portion.

2. The detection system according to claim 1 , wherein when all the proximity sensors detect the standard object and the information acquisition unit acquires the information from the IC tag, the estimation unit estimates that the standard object has been placed in the preset area.

3. The detection system according to claim 1 , wherein when any of the proximity sensors does not detect the standard object and the information acquisition unit acquires the information from the IC tag, the estimation unit estimates that the standard object is placed in the preset area and the proximity sensor that did not detect the standard object is abnormal.

4. The detection system according to claim 1 , wherein when all the proximity sensors detect the standard object and the information acquisition unit does not acquire the information from the IC tag, the estimation unit estimates that the standard object is placed in the preset area and the information acquisition unit is abnormal.

5. The detection system according to claim 1 , wherein when any of the proximity sensors does not detect the standard object and the information acquisition unit does not acquire the information from the IC tag, the estimation unit estimates that the standard object is not placed in the preset area or the proximity sensor that did not detect the standard object and the information acquisition unit are abnormal.

6. The detection system according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of weight sensors provided in the mounting portion, wherein:
the weight sensors are provided such that when the standard object is placed in the preset area of the mounting portion, all the weight sensors measure a weight of the standard object, and when the standard object is not placed in the preset area of the mounting portion, any of the weight sensors does not measure the weight of the standard object;
when all the weight sensors measure the weight of the standard object while any of the proximity sensors does not detect the standard object or the information acquisition unit does not acquire the information from the IC tag, the estimation unit estimates that the proximity sensor that did not detect the standard object or the information acquisition unit is abnormal; and
when any of the proximity sensors does not detect the standard object, the information acquisition unit does not acquire the information from the IC tag, and any of the weight sensors does not detect the weight of the standard object, the estimation unit estimates that the standard object is not placed in the preset area.

7. A detection method for detecting a standard object placed on a mounting portion of a transport robot, the detection method comprising:
a step in which a plurality of proximity sensors provided in the mounting portion attempts to detect the standard object such that when the standard object is placed in a preset area of the mounting portion, all the proximity sensors detect the standard object, and when the standard object is not placed in the preset area of the mounting portion, any of the proximity sensors does not detect the standard object;
a step in which an information acquisition unit provided in the mounting portion attempts to acquire information from an integrated circuit (IC) tag provided in the standard object such that when the standard object is placed in the preset area of the mounting portion, the information acquisition unit acquires the information from the IC tag, and when the standard object is not placed in the preset area of the mounting portion, the information acquisition unit does not acquire the information from the IC tag; and
a step in which a placement status of the standard object is estimated based on detection results of the proximity sensors and an acquisition result of the information acquisition unit.

8. A detection program for detecting a standard object placed on a mounting portion of a transport robot, the detection program causing a computer to execute:
a process in which a plurality of proximity sensors provided in the mounting portion attempts to detect the standard object such that when the standard object is placed in a preset area of the mounting portion, all the proximity sensors detect the standard object, and when the standard object is not placed in the preset area of the mounting portion, any of the proximity sensors does not detect the standard object;
a process in which an information acquisition unit provided in the mounting portion attempts to acquire information from an integrated circuit (IC) tag provided in the standard object such that when the standard object is placed in the preset area of the mounting portion, the information acquisition unit acquires the information from the IC tag, and when the standard object is not placed in the preset area of the mounting portion, the information acquisition unit does not acquire the information from the IC tag; and
a process in which a placement status of the standard object is estimated based on detection results of the proximity sensors and an acquisition result of the information acquisition unit.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Takagi Yutaro
• Iwamoto Kunihiro
• Itozawa Yuta
• Komura Hirotaka
• Nakamoto Yoshiaki
• Ota Junya

Classifications

• G06K7/10366 Primary

  the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications · CPC title

• B65G2203/0258

  Weight of the article · CPC title

• B65G1/1373

  for fulfilling orders in warehouses · CPC title

• B65G2203/042

  Sensors · CPC title

• B66F9/063 Primary

  Automatically guided · CPC title