Methods, apparatuses, and systems for automatically performing sorting operations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11911801-B2
Application number	US-202117451572-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2021
Priority date	Dec 11, 2020
Publication date	Feb 27, 2024
Grant date	Feb 27, 2024

Abstract

Apparatuses, method and computer program products for automatically performing sorting operations are disclosed herein. An example apparatus may comprise: an array of gripping elements, and at least one processing component configured to: obtain image data corresponding with the plurality of items; identify, from the image data, one or more characteristics of the plurality of items; determine, based at least in part on the one or more characteristics, an ordered sequence corresponding with the plurality of items; and generate a control indication to cause at least one of the gripping elements to perform the sorting operations based at least in part on the ordered sequence.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for automatically performing sorting operations with respect to a plurality of items, the apparatus comprising:
an array of gripping elements; and
at least one processing component configured to:
obtain image data corresponding with the plurality of items;
identify, from the image data, one or more characteristics of the plurality of items;
determine, based at least in part on the one or more characteristics, an ordered sequence corresponding with the plurality of items, wherein the ordered sequence comprises one or more target parameters for actuating one or more gripping elements of the array of gripping elements; and
generate a control indication to cause the one or more gripping elements to collect and sequentially deposit at least two or more items of the plurality of items based at least in part on the ordered sequence, wherein the ordered sequence comprises a set of instructions to pause the deposit of at least one item of the at least two or more items for at least a predetermined time duration based on the one or more characteristics of the at least two or more items.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ordered sequence defines a sequence, target parameters and a timing for one or more of singulation operations and depalletizing operations with respect to the plurality of items.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more characteristics comprise one or more of a type, a material, an estimated weight, a location and dimensions.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one image sensing component, wherein the at least one processing component is further configured to:
generate the control indication to cause the at least one image sensing component to capture the image data.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein causing the one or more gripping elements to collect and sequentially deposit the at least two or more items of the plurality of items comprises causing the one or more gripping elements to:
transfer the plurality of items from a first location to a second location; and
deposit each of the plurality of items at the second location based at least in part on the ordered sequence.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processing component is configured to determine the ordered sequence based at least in part on a machine learning model.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processing component is configured to identify the one or more characteristics pursuant to an image segmentation and/or object pose estimation techniques.

8. A method for automatically performing sorting operations with respect to a plurality of items, the method comprising:
obtaining, by at least one processing component, image data corresponding with the plurality of items;
identifying, from the image data, one or more characteristics of the plurality of items;
determining, based at least in part on the one or more characteristics, an ordered sequence corresponding with the plurality of items, wherein the ordered sequence comprises one or more target parameters for actuating one or more gripping elements of an array of gripping elements; and
generating a control indication to cause the one or more gripping elements to collect and sequentially deposit at least two or more items of the plurality of items based at least in part on the ordered sequence, wherein the ordered sequence comprises a set of instructions to pause the deposit of at least one item of the at least two or more items for at least a predetermined time duration based on the one or more characteristics of the at least two or more items.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the ordered sequence defines a sequence, target parameters and a timing for one or more of singulation operations and depalletizing operations with respect to the plurality of items.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the one or more characteristics comprise one or more of a type, a material, an estimated weight, a location and dimensions.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
generating a second control indication to cause at least one image sensing component to capture the image data.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein generating the control indication to cause the one or more gripping elements to collect and sequentially deposit the at least two or more items of the plurality of items comprises causing the one or more gripping elements to:
transfer the plurality of items from a first location to a second location; and
deposit each of the plurality of items at the second location based at least in part on the ordered sequence.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising determining the ordered sequence based at least in part on a machine learning model.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising identifying the one or more characteristics pursuant to an image segmentation and/or object pose estimation techniques.

15. A computer program product configured to automatically perform sorting operations with respect to a plurality of items, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer executable program code instructions therein, the computer executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions configured, upon execution, to:
obtain image data corresponding with the plurality of items;
identify, from the image data, one or more characteristics of the plurality of items;
determine, based at least in part on the one or more characteristics, an ordered sequence corresponding with the plurality of items, wherein the ordered sequence comprises one or more target parameters for actuating one or more gripping elements of an array of gripping elements; and
generate a control indication to cause the one or more gripping elements to collect and sequentially deposit at least two or more items of the plurality of items based at least in part on the ordered sequence, wherein the ordered sequence comprises a set of instructions to pause the deposit of at least one item of the at least two or more items for at least a predetermined time duration based on the one or more characteristics of the at least two or more items.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the ordered sequence defines a sequence, target parameters and a timing for one or more of singulation operations and depalletizing operations with respect to the plurality of items.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the one or more characteristics comprise one or more of a type, a material, an estimated weight, a location and dimensions.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the computer executable program code instructions further comprise the program code instructions configured to, upon execution, to:
generate a second control indication to cause at least one image sensing component to capture the image data.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein generating the control indication to cause the one or more gripping elements to collect and sequentially deposit the at least two or more items of the plurality of items comprises causing the one or more gripping elements to:
transfer the plurality of items from a first location to a second location; and
deposit each of the plurality of items at the second location based at least in part on the ordered sequence.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the ordered sequence i

Assignees

• Intelligrated Headquarters Llc

Inventors

• Wicks Matthew
• Pepley David

Classifications

• B07C5/3422 Primary

  using video scanning devices, e.g. TV-cameras · CPC title

• B07C5/08

  measured electrically or electronically (B07C5/10 takes precedence {; sorting according to electric or electromagnetic properties B07C5/344; measuring size in general using electric or magnetic means G01B7/00; testing coins G07D5/00}) · CPC title

• B07C5/28

  using electrical control means · CPC title

• B07C5/362 Primary

  Separating or distributor mechanisms (switches for postal sorting B07C3/065; particular discharging devices for B65G47/74) · CPC title

• B65G65/005

  Control arrangements · CPC title