Back to results
US 9,108,223 B2Granted
Sorting apparatus and control method for sorting apparatus
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
InventorMasanori Sato
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sorting apparatus conveys a sheet in a standing position, and detects, at various heights, the presence/absence of metal pieces in the sheet, conveyed in the standing position, by using a plurality of metal detection sensors. The sorting apparatus detects a tracking letter in which a metal piece is placed at a specific position or a clip letter containing a small metal piece whose position is fixed, on the basis of the detection result obtained by each metal detection sensor, and sorts the tracking letter or the clip letter in the same manner as a normal letter.
Claims9
A sorting apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of vertically arranged metal detection sensors, each of the sensors being configured to detect presence of a metal object contained within a letter that is disposed in a standing position on a conveying path,
- each of the sensors being arranged at a different predetermined height level within the vertical arrangement so as to detect the presence of the metal object at any of the predetermined height levels,
- each of the sensors being further configured to detect the presence of the metal object at predetermined time intervals, so as to detect a two-dimensional position of the metal object based on the detected presence at said any of the predetermined height levels and on the detected presence at any of said predetermined time intervals,
- the plurality of vertically arranged metal detection sensors being further configured to generate a height position detection pattern indicating the presence of the metal object at a corresponding height position in the letter, based on the detected two-dimensional position;
- a determination unit configured to determine whether the letter having the detected metal object present should be rejected due to the metal object being movable within the letter, based on the generated height position detection pattern,
- the determination unit being further configured to determine that the letter should not be rejected due to the metal object being fixed within the letter, when the generated height position detection pattern indicates that at least one metal detection sensor of the plurality of metal detection sensors other than a metal detection sensor arranged at a lowest height level of the predetermined height levels detects the presence of the metal object;
- and
- a sorting unit configured to sort the letter that should not be rejected, based on sorting information of the letter and the determination of the determination unit.
5 more elements
A sorting apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of vertically arranged metal detection sensors, each of the sensors being configured to detect presence of a metal object contained within a letter that is disposed in a standing position on a conveying path,
- each of the sensors being arranged at a different predetermined height level within the vertical arrangement so as to detect the presence of the metal object at any of the predetermined height levels,
- each of the sensors being further configured to detect the presence of the metal object at predetermined time intervals, so as to detect a two-dimensional position of the metal object based on the detected presence at said any of the predetermined height levels and on the detected presence at any of said predetermined time intervals,
- the plurality of vertically arranged metal detection sensors being further configured to generate a height position detection pattern indicating the presence of the metal object at a corresponding height position in the letter, based on the detected two-dimensional position;
- a determination unit configured to determine whether the letter having the detected metal object present should be rejected due to the metal object being movable within the letter, based on the generated height position detection pattern,
- the determination unit being further configured to determine that the letter should not be rejected due to the metal object being fixed within the letter, when the generated height position detection pattern indicates that more than one metal detection sensor of the plurality of metal detection sensors simultaneously detects the presence of the metal object;
- and
- a sorting unit configured to sort the letter determined to be a tracking letter, based on sorting information of the letter and the determination of the determination unit.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.