Picking assistant system

• US 10,504,199 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2016
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aioi Systems Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Aioi Systems Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Tada, Kiyoshi, Yoshikawa, Takamichi, Sato, Takeshi, Iida, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai Q
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hasan, Syed Y
• Application Number:
  US15/740,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20180342031A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,184 Days
• Field of Search: 348159, 414 1, 345204
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/137 with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30204 Marker
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/254 involving subtraction of images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/292 Multi-camera tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3141 Constructional details thereof details not peculiar to the presence of an electronic spatial light modulator G03B21/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3194 including sensor feedback

Abstract

A picking assistant system includes an article shelf in which articles are stocked, a projector displaying an instruction to a worker in a display region defined on the article shelf, and a processor. The processor detects a motion of a movable member which constitutes the article shelf and is configured to move when the article is taken out from the article shelf, and detects an operational error of the worker based on the detected motion of the movable member.

Claims

1. A picking assistant system, comprising:

an article shelf in which articles are stocked;

a projector configured to display an instruction to a worker in a display region defined on the article shelf; and

a processor,

wherein the article shelf includes a flexible screen hung at an opening of the article shelf,

wherein the display region is defined on the screen,

wherein the processor detects a motion of the screen, and detects an operational error of the worker based on the detected motion of the screen.

2. The picking assistant system according to claim 1, further comprising an imaging device which captures a captured image in which the screen is reflected,

wherein the processor detects the motion of the screen based on the captured image.

3. The picking assistant system according to claim 2, wherein a first marker is attached to the screen, and

wherein the processor detects a motion of the first marker in the captured image and detects the operation error of the worker based on the motion of the first marker.

4. The picking assistant system according to claim 3, wherein the article shelf comprises an article box accommodating the article,

wherein a second marker is attached to the article box, and

wherein the processor detects motions of the first and second markers in the captured image, and detects the operational error of the worker based on the motions of the first and second markers.

5. The picking assistant system according to claim 2, wherein the article shelf comprises an article box accommodating the article, and

wherein the processor detects a motion of the article box in the captured image and detects the operational error of the worker based on the motion of the article box in addition to the detected motion of the screen.

6. The picking assistant system according to claim 2, wherein the imaging device includes a plurality of cameras.

7. The picking assistant system according to claim 1, wherein the processor generates a picking instruction data which indicates an article to be picked by the worker and a number thereof, and determines that an operational error has occurred when the detected motion of the screen does not match the picking instruction data.

8. The picking assistant system according to claim 1, further comprising a support mechanism coupled to the article shelf to hang and support the projector,

wherein the support mechanism comprises a vibration isolation device which provides vibration isolation between the projector and the article shelf.

9. The picking assistant system according to claim 1, wherein the projector comprises:

an optical unit accommodating an optical system which projects an image and supported movably with respect to a housing of the projector;

an actuator; and

a vibration sensor,

wherein the actuator displaces the optical unit to cancel vibrations detected by the vibration sensor.