Handheld dimensioner with data-quality indication

• US 10,060,729 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2014
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Laffargue, Franck, Hunt, Jeffrey, Houle, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens, Tsion B
• Application Number:
  US14/519,233
• Publication Number:
  US 20160112643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/25 by projecting a pattern, e.g. one or more lines, moiré fringes on the object G01B11/255 takes precedence ; image analysis for depth or shape recovery G06T7/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30168 Image quality inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0002 Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/50 Depth or shape recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules

Abstract

A handheld dimensioner with a user interface configured to present a quality indicator is disclosed. The handheld dimensioner is configured to capture three-dimensional (3D) data and assess the three-dimensional-data'"'"'s quality. Based on this quality, a quality indicator may be generated and presented to a user via the user interface. This process may be repeated while the user repositions the handheld dimensioner. In this way, the user may use the quality indicators generated at different positions to find an optimal position for a particular dimension measurement.

Claims

1. A method for indicating a quality of three-dimensional range data of an object for shipping captured by a handheld dimensioner, the method comprising:

capturing, using a sensor, three-dimensional range data from a field of view, the field of view comprising an object for shipping, and the three-dimensional range data corresponding to projected light configured to convey depth information pertaining to the field of view;

transmitting the three-dimensional range data to a processor;

assessing, using the processor, the quality of the three-dimensional range data for making dimensioning calculations corresponding to the object in the field of view based on the three-dimensional range data;

generating, using the processor, a quality indicator corresponding to the quality of the three-dimensional range data; and

signaling the quality indicator on a user interface;

wherein the quality indicator comprises guidance for capturing additional three-dimensional range data to improve the accuracy of dimensioning calculations corresponding to the object relative to dimensioning calculations from previously captured three-dimensional range data.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a display for signaling the quality indicator.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the quality indicator comprises a visual image of the field-of-view with a graphical overlay, the graphical overlay corresponding to the quality of the three-dimensional range data.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the quality indicator comprises a gauge graphic displaying the quality of the three-dimensional range data as one of a range of possible qualities.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the quality indicator comprises a graphic, the graphic'"'"'s color corresponding to the quality of the three-dimensional range data.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a light for signaling the quality indicator.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the quality indicator comprises a pulsating illumination of the light the pulsating-illumination'"'"'s pulse rate corresponding to the quality of the three-dimensional range data.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a speaker for signaling the quality indicator.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the quality indicator comprises a sound, the sound'"'"'s volume and/or frequency corresponding to the quality of the three-dimensional range data.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a haptic device for signaling the quality indicator.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the quality indicator comprises a vibration, the vibration'"'"'s amplitude and/or rate corresponding to the quality of the three-dimensional range data.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the capturing, transmitting, assessing, generating, and signaling are repeated.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the quality of the three-dimensional data comprises accuracy of dimensioning calculations based on the three-dimensional range data.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the quality of the three-dimensional data comprises resolution of a depth map based on the three-dimensional range data.

26. The method according to claim 1, wherein the quality of the three-dimensional range data corresponds to gaps in the three-dimensional range data.

27. The method according to claim 1, wherein the quality of the three-dimensional range data corresponds to completeness of the three-dimensional range data.

28. The method according to claim 1, wherein the quality of the three-dimensional range data corresponds to projected results of dimensioning calculations based on the three-dimensional range data.

29. The method according to claim 1, wherein the quality of the three-dimensional range data corresponds to illumination conditions in the field of view.

30. The method according to claim 1, wherein the quality of the three-dimensional range data corresponds to lighting uniformity in the field of view.

31. The method according to claim 1, wherein the quality of the three-dimensional range data corresponds to diversity of object colors in the field of view.

32. The method according to claim 1, wherein the quality of the three-dimensional range corresponds to agreement between an object in the field of view and a wireframe rendering of the object.

33. The method according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional range data comprises a depth map, and wherein the quality of the three-dimensional range data comprises a quality of the depth map.

34. The method according to claim 1, wherein the guidance comprises a prompt intended to provoke a user to adjust the uniformity and/or brightness of lighting with respect to the object.

35. The method according to claim 1, wherein the guidance comprises a prompt intended to provoke a user to change the relative orientation as between at least a pair of respective surfaces of the object and the field of view.

15. A handheld dimensioner configured to indicate the quality of three-dimensional range data used for dimensioning an object for shipping, the handheld dimensioner comprising:

a dimensioning subsystem for capturing visual images and three-dimensional range data of a field of view;

a user-interface subsystem configured to present a quality indicator to a user, the quality indicator corresponding to the quality of three-dimensional range data;

a control subsystem communicatively coupled to the dimensioning subsystem and the user-interface subsystem, the control subsystem comprising at least one processor and at least one non-transitory storage medium for storing processor-executable instructions, wherein the processor-executable instructions configure the processor to;

(i) receive three-dimensional range data from the dimensioning subsystem, the three-dimensional range data corresponding projected light configured to convey depth information pertaining to the field of view, the field of view comprising an object for shipping, (ii) assess a quality of the three-dimensional range data, the quality indicating projected accuracy of dimensioning calculations corresponding to the object in the field of view based on the three-dimensional range data, (iii) generate the quality indicator corresponding to the quality of the three-dimensional range data, and (iv) transmit the quality indicator to the user-interface;

wherein the quality indicator comprises guidance for capturing additional three-dimensional range data to improve the projected accuracy of dimensioning calculations corresponding to the object relative to the projected accuracy corresponding to previously captured three-dimensional range data.

16. The handheld dimensioner according to claim 15, wherein the user-interface subsystem comprises a display.

17. The handheld dimensioner according to claim 15, wherein the quality indicator comprises a visual image of the field-of-view with a graphical overlay, the graphical overlay corresponding to the quality.

18. The handheld dimensioner according to claim 15, wherein the quality indicator comprises a graphical scale displaying the quality as one of a range of qualities on the graphical scale.

19. The handheld dimensioner according to claim 15, wherein the quality indicator comprises at least one prompt for provoking an action by a user.

20. The handheld dimensioner according to claim 15, wherein the user interface comprises a light for presenting illumination corresponding to the quality indicator.

21. The handheld dimensioner according to claim 15, wherein the user interface comprises a speaker for presenting sounds corresponding to the quality indicator.

22. The handheld dimensioner according to claim 15, wherein the user interface comprises a haptic device for presenting vibrations corresponding to the quality indicator.

25. The handheld dimensioner according to claim 15, wherein the graphical information comprises positioning guidance.

23. A handheld dimensioner configured to indicate a quality of three-dimensional range data used for dimensioning an object for shipping, the handheld dimensioner comprising:

a dimensioning subsystem for capturing visual images and three-dimensional range data of a field of view;

a user-interface subsystem comprising a display for presenting graphical information;

a control subsystem communicatively coupled to the dimensioning subsystem and the user-interface subsystem, the control subsystem comprising at least one processor and at least one non-transitory storage medium for storing processor-executable instructions, wherein the processor-executable instructions configure the processor to;

(i) receive three-dimensional range data from the dimensioning subsystem corresponding to a field of view comprising an object for shipping, (ii) assess a quality of the three-dimensional range data, the quality indicating suitability for making dimensioning calculations corresponding to the object in the field of view based on the three-dimensional range data, (iii) transmit the quality of the three-dimensional range data to the user-interface (iv) indicate the quality of the three-dimensional range data via the display for presenting graphical information;

wherein indicate the quality comprises providing guidance for capturing additional three-dimensional range data to improve the accuracy of dimensioning calculations corresponding to the object relative to dimensioning calculations from previously captured three-dimensional range data.

24. The handheld dimensioner according to claim 23, wherein the graphical information comprises a gauge indicating the quality of the three-dimensional range data.