B65B 65/08 - Devices for counting or registering the number of articles handled, or the number of packages produced by the machine
G06T 7/90 - Determination of colour characteristics
G16H 20/13 - ICT specially adapted for therapies or health-improving plans, e.g. for handling prescriptions, for steering therapy or for monitoring patient compliance relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients delivered from dispensers
2.
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INSPECTING, COUNTING AND DISPENSING ITEMS
A method for rapidly and accurately dispensing a predetermined number of discrete items, the method comprising: operating a conveyor to transport multiple items towards an imaging device, wherein the items are arranged in a single layer and at least some of the items are transported in parallel; operating the imaging device to continuously capture images of an area immediately below an end of the conveyor, so that items falling off the conveyor are recorded in the images while in trajectory; processing the images in real time, to continuously determine the number of falling items; stopping the conveyor before the number of falling items has reached the predetermined number, while continuing to determine the number of falling items until items cease to fall off the conveyor innertially; and automatically dispensing an additional amount of items, to complete the predetermined number of items.
B65B 57/20 - Applications of counting devices for controlling the feed of articles
G06F 17/00 - Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions
B65B 5/10 - Filling containers or receptacles progressively or in stages by introducing successive articles, or layers of articles
B65B 57/14 - Automatic control, checking, warning or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged
G06M 7/02 - Counting of objects carried by a conveyor wherein objects ahead of the sensing element are separated to produce a distinct gap between successive objects
G06M 7/04 - Counting of piece goods, e.g. of boxes
An apparatus for dispensing discrete items into a multiplicity of containers such that each of the multiplicity of containers contains at least a predetermined number of items, the apparatus comprising: a conveyor for transporting items from a feeder to a location from which the items fall into the container; a counting mechanism for counting a number of items that have fallen off the conveyor into the container during operation of the conveyor and due to inertial forces after the operation; an actuator for operating or stopping the conveyor in accordance with control commands; and a computing platform for receiving a count from the counting mechanism and generating the control commands to be provided to the actuator.
A method for dispensing a set number of items as a batch comprising the steps of: setting the set number of items in a batch; calibrating by forwarding items along a conveyor for a time interval; counting the number of items to fall off end of feeder in that time interval; calculating throughput per unit time; setting the conveyor to operate for a discrete time period calculated to approach but not exceed that required so that the running total reaches nut does not exceed the set number without otherwise adjusting conveyor settings; counting the number of items dispensed in the discrete time period; adding the number of items to fall off feeder in the discrete time period to running total, and repeating steps until the running total is greater or equal to the batch size wherein each iteration uses the number of particles per unit time in the preceding time period as basis for determining item through rate for calculating subsequent time period for operating the conveyor.
An apparatus for dispensing discrete items into a multiplicity of containers such that each of the multiplicity of containers contains at least a predetermined number of items, the apparatus comprising: a conveyor for transporting items from a feeder to a location from which the items fall into the container; a counting mechanism for counting a number of items that have fallen off the conveyor into the container during operation of the conveyor and due to inertial forces after the operation; an actuator for operating or stopping the conveyor in accordance with control commands; and a computing platform for receiving a count from the counting mechanism and generating the control commands to be provided to the actuator.
patents
