Cargo sensing detection system using spatial data

• US 10,158,842 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2013
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: McCloskey, Scott, Davalos, Pedro, Lloyd, Ryan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hallenbeck-Huber, Jeremiah C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shahnami, Amir
• Application Number:
  US13/923,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20130342653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,007 Days
• Field of Search: 348 42
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/04 Systems determining the presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/204 using stereoscopic image cameras stereoscopic photography G03B35/00

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to devices, methods, and systems for cargo sensing. One cargo presence detection system includes one or more sensors positioned in an interior space of a container, and arranged to provide spatial data about at least a portion of the interior space of the container and a detection component that receives the spatial data from the one or more sensors and identifies if one or more cargo items are present in the interior space of the container based on analysis of the spatial data.

Claims

1. A cargo presence detection system, comprising:

one or more active infrared three dimensional sensors positioned in an interior space of a container and a sensor to project structured light within the interior space of the container, and wherein the one or more active infrared three dimensional sensors are arranged to provide spatial data and depth information about at least a portion of the interior space of the container based on a deformation of the structured light when striking surfaces within the container, and wherein the one or more active infrared three dimensional sensors provide supplementary visible video image output;

a sliding rail system coupled to a top side of the container to move the one or more active infrared three dimensional sensors and the sensor from a first position to a second position;

a panning mechanism coupled to the one or more active infrared three dimensional sensors to rotate a viewing angle of the one or more active infrared three dimensional sensors between the first position and the second position; and

a computing device to;

receive the spatial data and depth information from the one or more sensors and identifies if one or more cargo items are present in the interior space of the container based on analysis of the spatial data and depth information, wherein the spatial data and depth information is based on a plurality of snapshots captured by the one or more active infrared three dimensional sensors positioned a plurality of positions between the first position and the second position by the sliding rail system and the panning mechanism;

estimate a height of the identified one or more cargo items by building a distribution of points belonging to the one or more cargo items;

determine when the height estimate of the identified one or more cargo items exceeds a threshold; and

determine a length and width of the identified one or more cargo items based on a generated two dimensional rectangle around a plurality of projected points when the one or more cargo items exceeds the threshold.

2. The cargo presence detection system of claim 1, wherein the system includes a communication component to communicate at least one of:

the spatial data, an identification determination based on the analysis of the spatial data, an empty/non-empty determination based on the analysis of the spatial data.

3. The cargo presence detection system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more active infrared three dimensional sensors is an active near infrared three dimensional sensor.

4. The cargo presence detection system of claim 1, wherein the spatial data provided by the one or more sensors includes at least one of:

depth information and three dimensional points.

5. The cargo presence detection system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is movable within the interior of the container.

6. The cargo presence detection system of claim 5, wherein the movement of the at least one sensor is at least one of:

pivot and tilt movement.

7. The cargo presence detection system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is a time-of-flight imaging sensor.

8. A cargo presence detection system, comprising:

one or more vision based active infrared three dimensional sensors positioned in an interior space of a and a sensor to project structured light within the interior space of the container, and wherein the one or more sensors are arranged to provide spatial data about at least a portion of the interior space of the container based on a deformation of the structured light when striking surfaces within the container, and wherein the one or more active infrared three dimensional sensors provide supplementary visible video image output;

a sliding rail system coupled to a top side of the container to move the one or more active infrared three dimensional sensors and the sensor from a first position to a second position;

a panning mechanism coupled to the one or more active infrared three dimensional sensors to rotate a viewing angle of the one or more active infrared three dimensional sensors between the first position and the second position; and

a computing device that;

receives the spatial data and depth information from the one or more sensors and identifies if one or more cargo items are present in the interior space of the container based on analysis of the spatial data and depth information, wherein the spatial data and depth information is based on a plurality of snapshots captured by the one or more active infrared three dimensional sensors positioned a plurality of positions between the first position and the second position by the sliding rail system and the panning mechanism;

estimates a height of the identified one or more cargo items by building a distribution of points belonging to the one or more cargo items;

determines when a height estimate of the identified one or more cargo items exceeds a threshold; and

determines a length and width of the identified one or more cargo items based on a generated two dimensional rectangle around a plurality of projected points when the one or more cargo items exceeds the threshold.

9. The cargo presence detection system of claim 8, wherein at least one of the one or more vision based sensors has a zoom functionality.

10. The cargo presence detection system of claim 8, wherein at least one of the one or more vision based sensors is a passive stereo vision imaging sensor.

11. The cargo presence detection system of claim 8, wherein computing device receives depth information from the one or more sensors and fits the sensor depth information to planar surfaces to determine if the is any outlier depth data that does not fit the continuous planar surfaces.

12. The cargo presence detection system of claim 8, wherein computing device receives data from the one or more sensors and determines if any objects identified from the data exceed a pre-specified volume or size threshold.

13. A cargo presence detection system, comprising:

one or more active infrared three dimensional sensors in an interior space of a container to project structured light within the interior space of the container to provide spatial data and depth information about at least a portion of the interior space of the container based on a deformation of the structured light when striking surfaces within the container, wherein the one or more sensors collect data regarding a first area of the interior space of the container and then move to collect data regarding a second area of the interior space of the container and wherein the one or more active infrared three dimensional sensors provide supplementary visible video image output;

a sliding rail system coupled to a top side of the container to move the one or more active infrared three dimensional sensors and the sensor from the first area to the second area;

a panning mechanism coupled to the one or more active infrared three dimensional sensors to rotate a viewing angle of the one or more active infrared three dimensional sensors between the first area and the second area; and

a computing device that;

receives the spatial data and depth information from the one or more sensors and identifies if one or more cargo items are present in the interior space of the container based on analysis of the spatial data and depth information, wherein the spatial data and depth information is based on a plurality of snapshots captured by the one or more active infrared three dimensional sensors positioned a plurality of areas between the first area and the second area by the sliding rail system and the panning mechanism;

estimates a height of the identified one or more cargo items by building a distribution of points belonging to the one or more cargo items;

determines when a height estimate of the identified one or more cargo items exceeds a threshold; and

determines a length and width of the identified one or more cargo items based on a generated two dimensional rectangle around a plurality of projected points when the one or more cargo items exceeds the threshold.

14. The cargo presence detection system of claim 13, wherein the spatial data identifies one or more dimensions of an object.

15. The cargo presence detection system of claim 13, wherein the spatial data identifies a first spatial dimension of an object and that dimension is used to estimate one or more other dimensions of the object.

16. The cargo presence detection system of claim 13, wherein the spatial data identifies a first dimension value of an object and if the first dimension is larger than a threshold value, that dimension value is used to estimate one or more other dimensions of the object.

17. The cargo presence detection system of claim 13, wherein the spatial data is presented to a user to verify a presence of an object with the interior space of the container.