Patent attributes
A conveyor unit distributes products and an automated product and item recognition system use such a unit. The technology is usable in customer self-service checkouts, as well as in automated warehouses for sorting products. The distribution unit includes at least one horizontal conveyor to move products to the recognition unit, at least two vertical conveyors placed above at least one horizontal conveyor and oriented at an angle to the movement axis of the horizontal conveyor, and at least one sensor to identify the position of products on conveyors. The horizontal and vertical conveyors are designed to enable the independent adjustment of the conveyor speed based on the readings received from at least one sensor. The approach provides improved accuracy and performance for automated recognition of products with different shapes, weights, or sizes and simplified use of the automated system without any need for the placement of products in sequence.
