Information collecting apparatus, information collecting system and information collecting method

• US 10,542,219 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2018
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Tomiyama, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Duley, Janese
• Application Number:
  US15/875,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20180213160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/023 including video camera means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/162 Mobile manipulator, movable base with manipulator arm mounted on it
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1371 with data records
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/16 for measuring distance of clearance between spaced objects
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0003 for sensing the radiant heat transfer of samples, e.g. emittance meter
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/402 characterised by control arrangements for positioning, e.g. centring a tool relative to a hole in the workpiece, additional detection means to correct position G05B19/19 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4183 characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37614 Number of workpieces, counter
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40298 Manipulator on vehicle, wheels, mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40572 Camera combined with position sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45045 Maintenance, automatic storage and retrieval system
• 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: G06V 20/10 Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

In one embodiment, an information collecting apparatus has a sensor, an arm, an arm drive mechanism, and a processor. The processor controls the arm drive mechanism to make the arm operate, and thereby makes the sensor move in the vicinity of an article arranged in a shelf. The processor acquires information indicating a state of the article to be measured by the sensor.

Claims

1. An information collecting apparatus which collects information of an article placed on a shelf, comprising:

an image sensor;

an arm which supports the image sensor and is movable in both horizontal and vertical directions;

an arm drive mechanism configured to move the arm; and

a processor configured to

upon receipt of an instruction to acquire information about an article, determine a location on a shelf on which the article is placed based on an entry in a database, and determine a position for the arm to be moved based on the determined location,

control the arm drive mechanism to horizontally and vertically move the arm to the determined position, and

when the arm is positioned at the determined position, control the image sensor to acquire an image at the determined location.

2. The information collecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the image sensor is included in a camera configured to acquire and output the image.

3. The information collecting apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a main body which supports the arm and has a movement mechanism;

wherein

the processor is further configured to

upon receipt of the instruction, determine a target location of the main body,

control the movement mechanism to move the main body to the determined target location before controlling the arm drive mechanism, and

after the main body has reached the target location, control the arm drive mechanism to horizontally and vertically move the arm to the determined position.

4. The information collecting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the processor is configured to

control the arm drive mechanism to horizontally and vertically move the arm to the determined position so that the image sensor is positioned above the article placed on the shelf, and

after the image sensor is positioned above the article, control the image sensor to acquire the image while controlling the movement mechanism to move the main body.

11. The information collection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the image sensor acquires the image from above the article placed on the shelf.

12. The information collection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of image sensors attached to the arm and configured to acquire images.

13. The information collection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the arm drive mechanism includes a horizontal link mechanism configured to move the arm in the horizontal direction and a vertical movement mechanism configured to move the arm in the vertical direction.

5. An information collecting system, comprising:

an information collecting apparatus configured to collect information of an article placed on a shelf; and

a host apparatus configured to process the information of the article which has been collected by the information collecting apparatus, wherein

the information collecting apparatus comprises;

an image sensor,

an arm which supports the image sensor and is movable in both horizontal and vertical directions,

an arm drive mechanism configured to move the arm,

a communication interface configured to communicate with the host apparatus, and

a processor configured to

upon receipt of an instruction to acquire information about an article from the host apparatus, determine a location on a shelf on which the article is placed based on an entry in a database, and determine a position for the arm to be moved based on the determined location,

control the arm drive mechanism to horizontally and vertically move the arm to the determined position,

when the arm is positioned at the determined position, control the image sensor to acquire an image at the determined location, and

transmits the acquired image to the host apparatus via the communication interface.

6. The information collecting system according to claim 5, wherein:

the image sensor is included in a camera configured to acquire and output the image.

7. The information collecting system according to claim 5 wherein

the information collecting apparatus further comprises:

a main body which supports the arm and has a movement mechanism, and

the processor is further configured to

upon receipt of the instruction, determine a target location of the main body,

control the movement mechanism to move the main body to the determined target location before controlling the arm drive mechanism, and

after the main body has reached the target location, control the arm drive mechanism to horizontally and vertically move the arm to the determined position.

8. The information collecting system according to claim 7, wherein

the processor is configured to

control the arm drive mechanism to horizontally and vertically move the arm to the determined position so that the image sensor is positioned above the article placed on the shelf, and

after the image sensor is positioned above the article, control the image sensor to acquire the image while controlling the movement mechanism to move the main body.

14. The information collection system according to claim 5, wherein

the image sensor acquires the image from above the article placed on the shelf.

15. The information collection system according to claim 5, wherein

the information collecting apparatus further comprises a plurality of image sensors attached to the arm and configured to acquire images.

16. The information collection system according to claim 5, wherein

the arm drive mechanism includes a horizontal link mechanism configured to move the arm in the horizontal direction and a vertical movement mechanism configured to move the arm in the vertical direction.

9. An information collecting method of collecting information of an article placed on a shelf, the method comprising:

upon receipt of an instruction to acquire information about an article, determining a location on a shelf on which the article is placed based on an entry in a database, and determining a position for an arm, which has an image sensor, to be moved based on the determined location;

horizontally and vertically moving the arm to the determined position; and

when the arm is positioned at the determined position, controlling the image sensor to acquire an image at the determined location.

10. The information collecting method according to claim 9 further comprising:

upon receipt of the instruction, determining a target location of a main body that supports the arm and has a moving mechanism; and

controlling the moving mechanism to move the main body to the target location before moving the arm.

17. The information collection method according to claim 9, wherein

the image is acquired by the image sensor from above the article placed on the shelf.

18. The information collection method according to claim 9, wherein

a plurality of image sensors is attached to the arm to acquire images.

19. The information collection method according to claim 9, wherein

the arm is moved in the horizontal direction by a horizontal link mechanism and in the vertical direction by a vertical movement mechanism.