Method and apparatus for dispensing items

Abstract

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.

What we claim is: 
     
         1 . 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;   operating the imaging device to continuously capture images of the items falling off the conveyor, wherein the items are recorded 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; and   operating a supplementary item dispenser to automatically and discretely dispense, one by one, the exact number of items needed to complete the predetermined number of items.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the operating of the supplementary item dispenser is performed at least partially simultaneously with the operating of the conveyor. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the imaging device is operated to continuously capture images of an area immediately below an end of the conveyor, said area extending to an effective portion of the width of the end of the conveyor, such that all of the items transported and falling off the end of the conveyor are recorded in the images. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the processing of the images to continuously determine the number of falling items comprises increasing an item count by one when an item enters or exits said area, wherein entrance or exit is determined when a bottom or top portion of an item, correspondingly, appears in an image but is missing from an immediately preceding image. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein the processing of the images to continuously determine the number of falling items comprises:
 tracking each item over consecutive images, from entering the area until exiting said area; and   increasing an item count by one upon the exit of each tracked item, to prevent a miscount if occasional noise appears in one or more of the images.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein a vertical gap is provided between the end of the conveyor and an upper edge of the area, to ensure that an end surface of the conveyor is not recorded in the images. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the items are arranged in a single layer on the conveyor and at least some of the items are transported in parallel, in a direction orthogonal to a direction of the transport, and wherein at least some of the items falling off the conveyor are falling off in parallel, in a direction orthogonal to a direction of the transport. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the total number of falling items is smaller than the predetermined number by up to ten. 
     
     
         9 . An apparatus comprising:
 a conveyor configured to transport multiple items from a hopper to an end of the conveyor;   an imaging device configured to continuously capture images of the items falling off the conveyor, wherein the items are recorded in the images while in trajectory;   a counting device configured to process the images in real time, to continuously determine the number of falling items;   an actuator configured to control operation of said conveyor in accordance with actuator control commands;   a computing platform configured to:
 receive the number of falling items from said counting device, 
 generate an actuator control command of said actuator control commands, the actuator control command being to stop said conveyor before the number of falling items has reached the predetermined number, and 
 generate a dispenser control command based on the number of items needed for completing the predetermined number of items; and 
   a supplementary item dispenser configured, responsive to the dispenser control command, to dispense exactly and discretely, one by one, the number of items needed for completing the predetermined number of items.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein said counting device comprises an image sensor and is configured to capture said images using a predetermined number of pixel rows of said image sensor, the predetermined number being lower than a total number of sensor rows existing in said image sensor. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein said counting device is configured to determine the number of falling items by analyzing a pattern of sensor pixels affected by a falling item in consecutive samples of the image sensor. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein said counting device comprises an image sensor, and wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one light source for providing light to be reflected by the falling items onto the image sensor. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , further comprising a lens assembly for focusing light reflected from the falling items onto the imaging device. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the supplementary dispenser is further configured to dispense the number of items needed for completing the predetermined number of items at least partially simultaneously with the transporting of the multiple items by the conveyor. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the conveyor is a parallel transport conveyor configured to transport the multiple items in parallel, in a direction orthogonal to a direction of the transport. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein the imaging device is configured to continuously capture images of an area immediately below an end of the conveyor, and wherein at least some of the items falling off the conveyor are falling off in parallel, in a direction orthogonal to a direction of the transport. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the actuator control command is such that the number of falling items is smaller than the predetermined number by up to ten. 
     
     
         18 . An item dispenser comprising:
 a parallel transport conveyor configured to transport items such that items fall off an end of the conveyor at a rate of at least 50 items per second;   an imaging device configured to continuously capture images of the items falling off the conveyor, wherein the items are recorded in the images while in trajectory;   a counting device configured to process the images in real time, to continuously determine the number of falling items;   an actuator configured to control operation of said conveyor in accordance with actuator control commands;   a computing platform configured to:
 receive the number of falling items from said counting device, 
 generate an actuator control command of said actuator control commands, the actuator control command being to stop said conveyor before the number of falling items has reached a predetermined number, and 
 generate a dispenser control command based on the number of items needed for completing the predetermined number of items; and 
   a supplementary item dispenser configured, responsive to the dispenser control command, to dispense exactly the number of items needed for completing the predetermined number of items, discretely, one by one, and at a rate of 1-4 items per second.   
     
     
         19 . The item dispenser according to  claim 18 , wherein the supplementary dispenser is further configured to dispense exactly the number of items needed for completing the predetermined number of items at least partially simultaneously with the transporting of the items by the parallel transport conveyor. 
     
     
         20 . The item dispenser according to  claim 18 , wherein the actuator control command is such that the number of falling items is smaller than the predetermined number by up to ten.