Separation of materials using sorting devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12420310-B2
Application number	US-202418669874-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2024
Priority date	May 22, 2023
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

Separation of materials using sorting devices is disclosed, including: receiving image data from sensors, wherein the image data corresponds to a set of objects being transported through a base sorting line; determining a subset of objects from the set of objects that are associated with a designated category based on the image data; sending a first set of data to a first sorting device to perform a diverting action on the subset of objects, wherein the first sorting device and a second sorting device are located along the base sorting line, wherein each of the first and second sorting devices is configured to perform diverting actions to separate materials associated with the designated category off from the base sorting line; and sending a second set of data to the second sorting device to perform a second action, wherein the second action is determined based on the image data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sorting system, comprising:
one or more sensors configured to capture image data corresponding to a set of objects being transported through a base sorting line;
a first sorting device and a second sorting device located along the base sorting line, wherein each of the first sorting device and the second sorting device is configured to perform diverting actions to separate materials associated with a designated category off from the base sorting line; and
one or more processors configured to:
monitor respective firing activities over time corresponding to the first sorting device and the second sorting device;
receive the image data from the one or more sensors;
determine a subset of objects from the set of objects that are associated with the designated category based at least in part on the image data;
send a first set of data to the first sorting device to perform a first action comprising a diverting action on the subset of objects;
determine a coordinated action relative to the first action to be performed by the second sorting device based on the monitored respective firing activities over time; and
send a second set of data to the second sorting device to perform a second action, wherein the second action is determined based at least in part on the image data, wherein the second action comprises the coordinated action.

2. The sorting system of claim 1 , wherein the materials associated with the designated category comprise objects of one or more of the following material types: paper, cardboard, or any fiber-based material.

3. The sorting system of claim 1 , wherein the diverting action comprises a first diverting action on a first target object within the subset of objects, and wherein the second action comprises a second diverting action on a second target object within the subset of objects.

4. The sorting system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a conveyor device on which a first diverted object removed from the base sorting line by the first sorting device or the second sorting device is deposited;
a quality control sensor configured to capture image data of the first diverted object; and
wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
determine that the first diverted object is associated with the designated category based at least in part on the image data of the first diverted object; and
send a third set of data to a third sorting device associated with quality control to perform positive sorting by diverting the first diverted object onto a pathway associated with objects that match the designated category.

5. The sorting system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a conveyor device on which a first diverted object removed from the base sorting line by the first sorting device or the second sorting device is deposited; and
a quality control sensor configured to capture image data of the first diverted object;
wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
determine that the first diverted object is not associated with the designated category based at least in part on the image data of the first diverted object; and
send a third set of data to a third sorting device associated with quality control to perform negative sorting by diverting the first diverted object onto a pathway associated with objects that do not match the designated category.

6. The sorting system of claim 1 , wherein the first sorting device is configured to perform the diverting action by shooting air to push on a target object as the target object falls off of a conveyor device in the base sorting line.

7. The sorting system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise a vision sensor.

8. The sorting system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise a near infrared sensor.

9. The sorting system of claim 1 , wherein the base sorting line comprises a series of one or more conveyor devices.

10. The sorting system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
determine a classification that corresponds to an object based at least in part on the image data; and
determine that the object corresponds to the designated category based at least in part on the classification.

11. The sorting system of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
select an airflow profile corresponding to the classification of the object, wherein the airflow profile comprises a firing polygon.

12. The sorting system of claim 11 , wherein the first sorting device comprises an air jet array sorting device, and wherein the first set of data comprises a control instruction including commands that are to be executed at the air jet array sorting device to effectuate air jet firings described in the firing polygon.

13. The sorting system of claim 11 , wherein the first sorting device comprises an air jet array sorting device, and wherein the first set of data sent to the first sorting device comprises data describing the firing polygon that is to be used by the first sorting device to locally generate commands to effectuate air jet firings described in the firing polygon.

14. The sorting system of claim 1 , wherein the coordinated action comprises a target utilization metric corresponding to the second sorting device.

15. The sorting system of claim 14 , wherein the target utilization metric comprises a target firing rate.

16. The sorting system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
configure different firing criteria for the first sorting device and the second sorting device; and
determine the coordinated action based at least in part on the different firing criteria.

17. The sorting system of claim 16 , wherein the different firing criteria comprises a first firing criteria comprising a first set of object attributes to be targeted by the first sorting device and a second set of object attributes to be targeted by the second sorting device, wherein the first set of object attributes is different from the second set of object attributes.

18. The sorting system of claim 16 , wherein the different firing criteria comprises a first firing criteria that describes a first segment along a conveyor belt width to be targeted by the first sorting device and a second segment along the conveyor belt width to be targeted by the second sorting device, wherein the first segment is different from the second segment.

19. The sorting system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
estimate a mass flow of the subset of objects along the base sorting line; and
determine the coordinated action based at least in part on the estimated mass flow.

20. The sorting system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
receive clog-related feedback from the second sorting device; and
determine the coordinated action based at least in part on the clog-related feedback.

21. The sorting system of claim 20 , wherein the coordinated action comprises to perform a self-maintenance routine.

22. The sorting system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
determine less than a threshold amount of target objects on the base sorting line based on the image data; and
determine the coordinated action based at least in part on the determination of less than the threshold amount of target objects on the base sorting line.

23. The sorting system of

Assignees

• Amp Robotics Corp

Inventors

• Potter Carson C
• Mckenna Robert M
• Koos Matthew J
• Welch Dylan

Classifications

• B07C5/363

  by means of air · CPC title

• B07C2501/0054

  Sorting of waste or refuse · CPC title

• B07C5/368

  actuated independently · CPC title

• B07C5/3422 Primary

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