US 11,767,176 B1Granted

Monitoring system to detect objects on conveyor system

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsGerman Valle Gomez, Jorge Munoz Parra

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A sensor-based monitor system for a conveyor belt station are described. A conveyor device in the conveyor belt station includes a conveyor belt that transports containers. A bracket is connected a surface of the conveyor device, a first sensor device is connected to the bracket, and a second sensor device is connected to the bracket. A conveyor controller is configured to control the motor, which causes the conveyor belt to move based on the first sensor device receiving a first light beam reflected by a corresponding first reflective surface and on the second sensor device receiving a second light beam reflected by a corresponding second reflective surface. An object, different from the containers, is detected on the conveyor belt based on the first sensor device receiving the first light beam and on the second sensor device ceasing to receive the second light beam.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

a conveyor station comprising:
a conveyor device, with a motor to operate a conveyor belt that transports containers containing items from a first end of the conveyor station to a second end of the conveyor station;
a first bracket connected to a first side surface of the conveyor device, the first bracket comprising a first rod, a second rod, and a first plate that is connected to the first rod and the second rod;
a first transceiver connected to the first rod;
a second transceiver connected to the first rod;
a second bracket connected to a second side surface of the conveyor device that is opposite the first side surface, the second bracket comprising a third rod, a fourth rod, and a second plate that is connected to the third rod and the fourth rod, the containers being transported by the conveyor belt between the first bracket and the second bracket;
a first reflective surface connected to the third rod and corresponding to the first transceiver;
a second reflective surface connected to the third rod and corresponding to the second transceiver;
and
a conveyor controller configured to control the motor;
and
a computing device comprising:
one or more processors;
and
one or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:
causing the first transceiver to emit a first light beam that is reflected by the first reflective surface back towards the first transceiver;
causing the second transceiver to emit a second light beam that is reflected by the second reflective surface back towards the second transceiver;
causing, at a first time, the motor to operate the conveyor belt to move based on the first transceiver receiving the first light beam and on the second transceiver receiving the second light beam;
and
causing, at a second time different than the first time, the motor to cease operating the conveyor belt based on the first transceiver receiving the first light beam and on the second transceiver ceasing to receive the second light beam due to the second light beam being intercepted by the object.

17 more elements

A system comprising:

a conveyor device that is configured to transport objects in a direction;
a first bracket connected to a first side surface of the conveyor device;
a second bracket connected to a second side surface of the conveyor device that is opposite the first side surface, the conveyor device disposed between the first side surface and the second side surface;
a first sensor device connected to the first bracket at a first position, the first sensor device configured to emit a first light beam towards a first reflective surface corresponding to the first sensor device;
a second sensor device connected to the first bracket at a second position different than the first position, the first sensor device being positioned above the second sensor device, with respect to a top surface of the conveyor device, the second sensor device configured to emit a second light beam towards a second reflective surface corresponding to the second sensor device;
the first reflective surface configured to reflect the first light beam towards the first sensor device to be received by the first sensor device;
and
the second reflective surface configured to reflect the second light beam towards the second sensor device to be received by second first sensor device,
wherein lack of second receipt of the second light beam by the second sensor device indicates an unintended object being transported by the conveyor device.

6 more elements

A method comprising:

causing, via a motor, a conveyor belt associated with a conveyor device to transport one or more first objects;
receiving, by a computing device and at a first time, an indication that a first sensor device received a first light beam and a second sensor device received a second light beam, the first sensor device and the second sensor device connected to a bracket that is connected a first side surface of the conveyor device, the first sensor device being positioned above the second sensor device, with respect to a top surface of the conveyor device;
determining, by the computing device and at a second time subsequent to the first time, that a second object, different from the one or more first objects, is on the conveyor belt, based at least in part on the first sensor device receiving the first light beam and on the second sensor device ceasing to receive the second light beam;
and
causing, via the motor, the conveyor belt to at least one of decrease a rate of movement or cease operating based at least in part on determining that the second object is on the conveyor belt.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.