# US 2021/0176433 A1 · Apparatus and method for inspecting suspendly conveyable transport bags > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0176433 A1 - Document ID: US20210176433A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/255,263 - Filed: 2019-06-27 - Published: 2021-06-10 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-28 - Assignees: Ferag AG - Applicants: Ferag AG - Inventors: Andreas DURTSCH - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210176433A1 ## CPC - B65G 43/00: Control devices, e.g. for safety, warning or fault-correcting - B65G 17/485: {the load carriers being suspended} - B65G 47/38: by dumping, tripping, or releasing load carriers (by flexing or tilting travelling structures B65G47/94) - B65G 47/61: for articles - G06V 20/00: Scenes; Scene-specific elements (control of digital cameras H04N23/60) - H04N 7/18: Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast - B65G 2201/0238: Bags - B65G 2203/0266: relating to the load carrier(s) - B65G 2203/0283: Position of the load carrier - B65G 2203/041: Camera - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A device for inspecting transport bags (14) that can be conveyed in a suspended manner with a bag interior (16) for receiving piece-goods units (5), the transport bag having a bag opening (17) of the bag interior, includes a device for opening and/or keeping open the bag opening of a transport bag that is to be inspected; and a detection device (70) that is configured to receive at least one two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional image of at least part of the bag interior of the transport bag to be inspected. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device for inspecting transport bags (14) that can be conveyed in a suspended manner, with a bag interior (16) for receiving piece-goods units (5), wherein the transport bag has a bag opening (17, 151) of the bag interior, the device comprising: a detection device (70) that is configured to capture at least one two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional image of at least part of the bag interior of the transport bag to be inspected. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the inspection device comprises a device for opening and/or keeping open the bag opening of a transport bag that is to be inspected. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the transport bag (14) comprises at least one bag opening (17, 151) of the bag interior that lies in an upper region of the hag interior and/or a lateral region of the bag interior when the transport bag is in a suspended position. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the bag opening of the transport bag is implemented as a transparent region in a wall of the transport bag, particularly as a window or window section in a wall of the transport bag. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the detection device (70) comprises at least one camera module (72, 72′, 72″) that is configured to capture at least one image of at least part of the bag interior (16) of the transport bag (14) to be inspected. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the detection device (70) comprises at least one laser scanner module that is configured to guide one or more laser beams over at least part of the surface of the bag interior (16) of the transport bag (14) to be inspected. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the detection device (70) comprises an illumination module (77, 77′, 77″) that is configured to illuminate at least part of the bag interior (16) of the transport bag (14) to be inspected with one or more illuminating means. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the detection device (70) comprises an imaging module that is configured to calculate a three-dimensional image of at least a part of the bag interior (16) of an inspected transport bag (14) from captured image data of the detection device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the detection device (70) comprises an evaluation module that is configured to analyze the captured or calculated image data of an inspected transport bag (14) and to provide data based on this image data analysis that contain information regarding whether the inspected transport bag is empty or contains an object (7). ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the detection device (70) comprises an evaluation module that is configured to analyze the captured or calculated image data of an inspected transport bag (14) and, based on this image data analysis, to read out optically readable information present on an object located in the inspected transport bag. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The inspection device according to claim 1, wherein the detection device (70) comprises an evaluation module that is configured to analyze the captured or calculated image data of an inspected transport bag (14) with AI algorithms and, based on this image data analysis, to identify and/or classify an object located in the inspected transport bag. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The inspection device according to claim 2, wherein the detection device comprises a device for opening and/or keeping open the bag opening of a transport bag that is to be inspected; wherein the device for opening and/or keeping open the bag opening of a transport bag to be inspected comprises a lifting device that is configured to move an inspection bag (14) to be inspected from a conveying position (20) in which the transport bag hangs vertically into an inspection position in which the transport bag is disposed on an inclined plane such that a front wall (143) of the transport bag or an edge (147, 149) of said front wall rests on the inclined plane and the end of the front wall facing toward the bag opening (17) of the transport bag is lower in the direction of gravity than the end of the front wall opposite the bag opening, so that the inner surface of the front wall forms another inclined plane; and wherein the detection device (70) is configured to capture at least one two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional image of at least part of the bag interior (16) of a transport bag that is disposed in the inspection position. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The inspection device according to claim 12, wherein the lifting device comprises at least one of a lifting table, a ramp, a circulating conveyor belt (54), a roller arrangement, and a roller ramp, which forms an inclined plane. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The inspection device according to claim 2, wherein the detection device comprises a device for opening and/or keeping open the bag opening of a transport bag that is to be inspected; wherein the device for opening and/or keeping open the bag opening of a transport bag to be inspected comprises a device (50) for emptying transport bags (14) that are conveyed in a suspended manner, with a conveyor system (20), particularly a rail-guided conveyor system or a conveyor chain system, with which transport bags can be fed in a suspended manner along a conveyor path; and with a circulating conveyor belt (54) for picking up piece-goods units (5) that are transported in the transport bags, wherein, in a contact section (51), the conveyance path of the conveyor system and the conveyance path of the conveyor belt are arranged such that the distance between the conveyance path of the conveyor system and the conveyance path of the conveyor belt becomes continuously smaller, so that when a transport bag is conveyed along the contact section, a front wall (143) of the transport bag contacts the conveyor belt and comes to rest on same, the transport bag being pivoted backward; wherein, in a delivery section (52), the conveyance path of the conveyor system (20) and the conveyance path of the conveyor belt extend substantially parallel to one another with a certain downward slope, and during conveyance of the transport bag along the delivery section, the front wall of the transport bag continues to lie on the conveyor belt, so that the bag opening (17) of the transport bag is oriented inclined downward and piece-goods units (5) that are present in the bag interior (16) of the transport bag slide out of the bag interior and onto the conveyor belt by force of gravity; wherein, in a separating section (53), the distance between the conveyance path of the conveyor system (20) and the conveyance path of the conveyor belt (54) increases continuously, so that when the transport bag (14) is conveyed along the separating section, the emptied transport bag is lifted off the conveyor belt and swivels back into the freely suspended position; and wherein the detection device (70) of the inspection device is configured such that it can capture the at least one two-dimensional or three-dimensional image of at least part of the bag interior (16) of the transport bag (14) to be inspected when the transport bag to be inspected is located in the delivery section (52) or in the separating section (53) in a defined detection position at which the emptying of the transport bag to be inspected is concluded during functional operation of the device (50) for emptying transport bags (14) that are conveyed in a suspended manner. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The inspection device according to claim 14, with a guide ramp (76) arranged in a separating section (53) that guides transport bags (14) that are lifted off the conveyor belt (54) such that a collision of the transport bags with parts of the detection device (70), particularly with a camera module (72) of the detection device, is not possible. ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) The inspection device according to claim 2, wherein the device for opening and/or keeping open the bag opening of a transport bag (14) to be inspected comprises an actuator device that is configured to move a stable front wall (143) of the transport bag that is movably connected to a stable rear wall (142) of a transport bag to be inspected relative to said rear wall in the direction of a bag opening (17) of the transport bag. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The inspection device according to claim 16, wherein the actuator device is configured to move a lower edge (149) of the front wall (143) of the transport bag (14) facing away from the bag opening (17) of the transport bag relative to the rear wall (142) of the transport bag in the direction of the bag opening. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The inspection device according to claim 16 wherein the actuator device comprises at least one of a lifting table, a ramp, a circulating conveyor belt (54) with ribs (56), a roller assembly and a roller ramp that move the front wall (143) of the transport hag (14) or the lower edge (149) of the front wall (143) relative to the rear wall (142) of the transport bag in the direction of the bag opening. ### Claim 19 (depends on 2) The inspection device according to claim 2, wherein the device for opening and/or keeping open the bag opening of a transport bag (14) to be inspected comprises an actuator device that is set up to move a front wall (143a, 143b) of the transport bag, movably connected to a rear wall (142a, 142b) of the transport bag (14) to be inspected, relative to said rear wall of the transport bag, or to move a rear wall (142a, 142b) of the transport bag, movably connected to a front wall (143a, 143b) of the transport bag (14) to be inspected, relative to said front wall of the transport bag. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The inspection device according to claim 19, wherein the actuator device comprises a sliding block guide that interacts with a bracket of a transport bag (14) to be inspected, arranged between the front wall (143a, 143b) and the rear wall (142a, 142b). ### Claim 21 A method for inspecting transport bags that can be conveyed in a suspended manner comprising: providing a transport bag (14) to be inspected, the transport bag having a bag interior (16) for receiving piece-goods units (5) and a bag opening (17) of the bag interior; and capturing at least one two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional image of at least part of the bag interior. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method according to claim 21, further comprising opening and/or keeping open the bag opening of a transport bag. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The method according to claim 21, further comprising the transport bag (14) having at least one bag opening (17, 151) of the bag interior that lies in an upper region of the bag interior and/or a lateral region of the bag interior when the transport bag is in a suspended position. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The method according to claim 21, further comprising the bag opening of the transport bag being implemented as a transparent region in a wall of the transport bag, particularly as a window or window section in the transport bag. ### Claim 25 (depends on 21) The method according to claim 21, further comprising calculating a three-dimensional image of at least part of the bag interior from captured image data of at least part of the bag interior (16) of an inspected transport bag (14). ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The method of according to claim 21, further comprising analyzing the captured or calculated image data of an inspected transport bag (14) and, based on this image data analysis, providing data containing information about whether the inspected transport bag is empty or contains an object (7). ### Claim 27 (depends on 21) The method of according to claim 21, further comprising analyzing the captured or calculated image data of an inspected transport bag (14) and, based on this image data analysis, reading out optically readable information on an object located in the inspected transport bag. ### Claim 28 (depends on 21) The method of according to claim 21, further comprising analyzing the captured or calculated image data of an inspected transport bag (14) with AI algorithms and, based on this image data analysis, identifying and/or classifying an object located in the inspected transport bag. ### Claim 29 (depends on 21) The method of according to claim 21, wherein the captured or calculated image data of an inspected transport bag (14) are used to train AI algorithms, with which after completed training further captured or calculated image data of an inspected transport bag can be analyzed, and, based on this image data analysis, an object located in the inspected transport bag can be identified and/or classified. ### Claim 30 (depends on 21) The method according to claim 21, further comprising capturing an image that shows at least one inner side of a wall, particularly of a front wall (143, 143a, 143b) of a transport bag (14) to be inspected lying against the bag interior; identifying an inspection area (81) on the captured image showing at least a part of the inside of the wall; analyzing the image data of the identified inspection area as to whether, in addition to the inside of the wall, another object (7) being also shown; and providing data based on the image data analysis, the data including information about whether the inspected transport bag is empty or contains an object (7). ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The method according to claim 30, further comprising: determining the image coordinates of the two outer endpoints (82, 82′) of the upper edge (147) of the front wall (143) of the transport bag (14) facing toward the bag opening (17) and the image coordinates of the two endpoints (83, 83′) of the lower edge (147) of the front wall facing away from the bag opening (17), to identify the inspection area (81) in the image; and determining as the inspection area at least a portion of a quadrangle that is defined by the image coordinates of the four mentioned endpoints (82, 82′, 83, 83′). ### Claim 32 (depends on 30) The method according to claim 30, further comprising comparing brightness of the pixels within the inspection area to a threshold value, the inside of the front wall (143) of the transport bag (14) being monochrome; and providing data based on a number of pixels below and above said threshold value, the data including information about whether or not an object (7) is shown within the inspection area.