Smart counting method and system in manufacturing
OwnerTyler Compton, Bryce Beagle +2inventors
InventorsTyler Compton, Bryce Beagle, Alexander Thiel, Xintian Li
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention discloses a smart counting method and system in manufacturing, specifically in custom clothing or fabric manufacturing. The smart counting method and system uses a camera to feed real-time image data of a working platform where a worker takes a unfinished clothing or fabric, processes the clothing or fabric, and puts the finished clothing or fabric in a finished pile to a processing unit. The processing unit automatically starts a new work order and counts the number of finished products in this work order by using computer vision techniques.
Claims20
A smart counting system in manufacturing, comprising:
- a platform configured to have three areas including an input area for accommodating a stack of unfinished products, a workspace where a worker processes the unfinished products one by one, and an output area for accommodating a stack of finished products;
- a first tag positioned in the workspace, the first tag being obscured when the worker is processing an unfinished product in the workspace;
- a second tag positioned in the output area, the second tag being obscured when the output area holds one or more finished products;
- a camera configured above the platform and pointing down to the platform, wherein the camera captures real-time image data including data of the workspace and output area;
- and
- a processing unit for receiving and processing the real-time image data from the camera and executing a process based on the real-time image data, the process comprising the following steps:
- determining that an unfinished product in the workspace matches a predetermined pattern and initializing a work count,
- checking whether the first tag has been obscured for at least a predetermined time period,
- detecting a motion in the output area,
- in response to that the first tag has been obscured for at least the predetermined time period and a motion is detected in the output area, increasing the work count, and
- repeating checking whether the first tag has been obscured for at least the predetermined time period and increasing the work count in response to that the first tag has been obscured for at least the predetermined time period and a motion is detected in the output area until that the second tag is detected in the output area.
A method for smart counting in manufacturing, comprising:
- configuring a platform including an input area for accommodating a stack of unfinished products, a workspace where a worker processes the unfinished products one by one, and an output area for accommodating a stack of finished products;
- configuring a first tag in the workspace, the first tag being obscured when the worker is processing an unfinished product in the workspace;
- configuring a second tag in the output area, the second tag being obscured when the output area holds one or more finished products;
- determining that an unfinished product in the workspace matches a predetermined pattern and initializing a work count;
- checking whether the first tag has been obscured for at least a predetermined time period;
- detecting a motion in the output area;
- in response to that the first tag has been obscured for at least the predetermined time period and a motion is detected in the output area, increasing the work count;
- and
- repeating checking whether the first tag has been obscured for at least the predetermined time period and increasing the work count in response to that the first tag has been obscured for at least the predetermined time period and a motion is detected in the output area until that the second tag is detected in the output area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.