Reception system for receiving objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9949580-B2
Application number	US-201615296990-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2016
Priority date	Oct 19, 2015
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A reception system for receiving objects comprises at least one reception device for receiving objects, a conveyor device, which has at least one conveyor belt section for conveying objects in a conveyance direction in the at least one reception device, and a sensor device, which is arranged on the at least one reception device, for detecting objects in the at least one reception device. It is provided in this case that the sensor device is designed to emit sensor signals along different signal paths over the reception device, to conclude a fill level of the reception device on the basis of an interaction of at least one of the sensor signals with objects conveyed into the reception device. In this manner, a reception system for receiving objects is provided, which enables further automation, in particular in the conveyance of objects into a reception device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A reception system for receiving objects, comprising
a reception system of a checkout counter,
a scanner and scanning system for receiving objects,
at least one reception device for receiving objects,
a conveyor device, which has at least one conveyor belt section for conveying objects in a conveyance direction into the at least one reception device, and
a sensor device, which is arranged on the at least one reception device, for detecting objects in the at least one reception device,
wherein the sensor device is designed to emit sensor signals along different signal paths over the reception device, and to determine a fill level of objects in a reception area, wherein the fill level is an assessment of an accumulation of objects along a horizontal plane as the objects are introduced into the at least one reception device, and the sensor device determines the fill level on the basis of an interaction of at least one of the sensor signals with objects conveyed into the reception device,
wherein the sensor device comprises at least one of a first emitter for emitting first sensor signals and a plurality of first receivers associated with said first emitter and operative for receiving said first sensor signals, and a plurality of second emitters for emitting second sensor signals and a second receiver associated with said second emitters and operative for receiving said second sensor signals,
wherein the sensor device is designed to determine a plurality of fill levels.

2. The reception signal according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor signals are formed by signals of infrared light.

3. The reception system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one reception device is bordered at least in sections by wall sections, wherein sensor units are arranged spatially offset on different wall sections of the at least one reception device.

4. The reception system according to claim 1 , wherein a first sensor unit, which forms an emitter, is arranged on a first wall section of the at least one reception device and a second sensor unit, which forms a receiver, is arranged opposite to the first sensor unit on a second wall section opposite to the first wall section.

5. The reception system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one sensor unit of the sensor device is designed as a reflection sensor for emitting a sensor signal and for receiving a reflected signal and additionally for receiving an emitted signal of another sensor device.

6. The reception system according to claim 1 , wherein sensor units of the sensor device each have a display device for outputting visual display signals as a function of a fill level of the reception device.

7. A product checkout system or reverse vending machine having a reception system according to claim 1 .

8. The reception system according to claim 1 , wherein at least one sensor unit of the sensor device is designed as a reflection sensor for emitting a sensor signal and for receiving a reflected signal.

9. The reception system according to claim 8 , wherein the sensor device is designed to determine a distance value of the at least one reflection sensor to a reflected object on the basis of a received reflected signal.

10. The reception system according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one sensor unit designed as a reflection sensor is designed to determine, by comparison of a signal level of a received reflected signal to different threshold values, whether the reflected signal has been reflected by an object at short range to the sensor unit or at long range to the sensor unit.

11. The reception system according to claim 1 , wherein the reception system has a control device for analyzing sensor data obtained on the basis of the sensor signals, to conclude the fill level of the reception device on the basis of the sensor data.

12. The reception system according to claim 11 , wherein the control device is designed to control the conveyance speed of at least one conveyor belt section of the conveyor device as a function of an ascertained fill level.

13. The reception system according to claim 11 , wherein the reception system has an object separation device arranged on the conveyor device, which is adjustable to guide objects into different reception devices, wherein the control device is designed to activate a drive device to adjust the object separation device as a function of an ascertained fill level.

14. The reception system according to claim 1 , wherein a sensor unit, which is designed as an emitter, of the sensor device is designed to emit a sensor signal, which contains an identification identifier and is used as a test signal, for mutual identification, to at least one other sensor unit designed as a receiver.

15. The reception system according to claim 14 , wherein the sensor unit is designed to analyze the test signal received at the sensor unit designed as a receiver and to compare the signal level of the test signal to a stored reference value, to conclude a change at the sensor device on the basis of the comparison.

Assignees

• Wincor Nixdorf Int Gmbh

Inventors

• Schaefer Oliver
• Baitz Guenter
• Neubert Felix

Classifications

• A47F9/04 Primary

  Check-out counters, e.g. for self-service stores · CPC title

• B65G57/10

  by devices, e.g. reciprocating, acting directly on articles for horizontal transport to the top of stack · CPC title

• G07F7/0609

  by fluid containers, e.g. bottles, cups, gas containers · CPC title

• B65G43/10

  Sequence control of conveyors operating in combination · CPC title

• G07G1/0036 Primary

  Checkout procedures · CPC title