Sorting support apparatus, sorting support system, sorting support method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12405233-B2
Application number	US-202318380879-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2023
Priority date	Mar 29, 2018
Publication date	Sep 2, 2025
Grant date	Sep 2, 2025

Abstract

A sorting support apparatus is provided with: an input part that inputs a transmission image obtained by radiating an inspection target with electromagnetic waves; a storage part that stores a plurality of learning models optimized respectively for at least one article and being associated with an assumed usage condition; and a determination part that selects one of the learning models based on a specified usage condition and uses the learning model to determine whether or not the one or more articles is contained in the inspection target.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sorting support system comprising a plurality of sorting support apparatuses are disposed at multiple stages, wherein each of the sorting support apparatuses comprises:
at least one memory storing a computer program; and
at least one processor configured to execute the computer program to
input a transmission image obtained by radiating an inspection target with electromagnetic waves; and
determine whether or not one or more articles used under a specified usage condition is contained in the inspection target, wherein
the specified usage conditions in the sorting support apparatuses are different each other,
wherein the specified usage condition is associated with a trend of handled goods at a location where the sorting support apparatus is disposed, and
wherein the handled good comprises a package which may contain a plurality of articles.

2. The sorting support system according to claim 1 , wherein the specified usage condition is associated with a trend of handled goods in a time-period in which sorting is performed.

3. The sorting support system according to claim 1 , wherein the specified usage condition is associated with a trend of handled goods according to sender location.

4. The sorting support system according to claim 1 , wherein a threshold for determining whether or not at least one article is included is possible to change.

5. The sorting support system according to claim 1 , configured so that a sorting support apparatus at a first stage uses a usage condition for sorting paper and non-paper articles, and
sorting support apparatuses at second and following stages use a usage condition for further sorting the non-paper articles.

6. A sorting support method comprising,
by each of a plurality of sorting support apparatuses disposed at multiple stages:
inputting a transmission image obtained by radiating an inspection target with electromagnetic waves; and
determining whether or not one or more articles used under a specified usage condition is contained in the inspection target, wherein
the specified usage conditions in the sorting support apparatuses are different each other,
wherein the specified usage condition is associated with a trend of handled goods at a location where the sorting support apparatus is disposed, and
wherein the handled good comprises a package which may contain a plurality of articles.

7. The sorting support method according to claim 6 , wherein the specified usage condition is associated with a trend of handled goods in a time-period in which sorting is performed.

8. The sorting support method according to claim 6 , wherein the specified usage condition is associated with a trend of handled goods according to sender location.

9. The sorting support method according to claim 6 , wherein a threshold for determining whether or not at least one article is included is possible to change.

10. The sorting support method according to claim 6 , configured so that a sorting support apparatus at a first stage uses a usage condition for sorting paper and non-paper articles, and
sorting support apparatuses at second and following stages use a usage condition for further sorting the non-paper articles.

11. A computer-readable non-transitory recording medium storing a program executable by a computer of each of a plurality of sorting support apparatuses disposed at multiple stages to perform processing comprising:
inputting a transmission image obtained by radiating an inspection target with electromagnetic waves; and
determining whether or not one or more articles used under a specified usage condition is contained in the inspection target, wherein
the specified usage conditions in the sorting support apparatuses are different each other,
wherein the specified usage condition is associated with a trend of handled goods at a location where the sorting support apparatus is disposed, and
wherein the handled good comprises a package which may contain a plurality of articles.

12. The medium according to claim 11 , wherein the specified usage condition is associated with a trend of handled goods in a time-period in which sorting is performed.

13. The medium according to claim 11 , wherein the specified usage condition is associated with a trend of handled goods according to sender location.

14. The medium according to claim 11 , wherein the processing comprises performing changing a threshold for determining whether or not at least one article is included.

15. The medium according to claim 11 , wherein the program is executable by a computer of a sorting support apparatus at a first stage to perform processing comprising using a usage condition for sorting paper and non-paper articles.

16. The medium according to claim 11 , wherein the program is executable by a computer of each of sorting support apparatuses at second and following stages to perform processing comprising using a usage condition for further sorting non-paper articles.

Assignees

• Nec Corp

Inventors

• Kaji Masahiro
• Ikemura Kazuyuki
• Yoshitsune Shinichi
• Takeuchi Kaori

Classifications

• G06V20/52

  Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects (recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69) · CPC title

• G06N5/04

  Inference or reasoning models · CPC title

• G01N2223/639

  material in a container · CPC title

• G01N2223/401

  image processing · CPC title

• G01N2223/04

  and measuring absorption · CPC title