Apparatus and method for producing a numeric display corresponding to the volume of a selected segment of an item

• US 20060155509A1
• Filed: 03/07/2006
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kenneth Wargon
• Original Assignee: Kenneth Wargon
• Inventors: Wargon, Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 7,460,982 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/156
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 17/0013 Boards or blocks for cutting or chopping meat
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 17/0073 using visual recognition, X-rays, ultrasounds, or other contactless means to determine quality or size of portioned meat
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 17/008 for measuring quality, e.g. to determine further processing
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 17/0086 Calculating cutting patterns based on visual recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 25/18 Cutting fish into portions
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 25/185 Hand tools for cutting fish
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/00 Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/245 using a plurality of fixed, simultaneously operating transducers G01B11/2408 - G01B11/2425, G01B11/255 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 17/06 for measuring contours or curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/2179 Including means to move, or resist movement of, cut pieces along delivery chute
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/525 Operation controlled by detector means responsive to work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7487 Means to clamp work

Abstract

An apparatus and method for displaying the weight or cost of an uncut selected segment of an item involves passing a position indicating member over the item lying on a support surface. The position indicating member carries one or more sensors which generate signals corresponding to succeeding cross sectional contours of the item as the member is traversed along the item from a reference position to a selected other position over this item, defining the selected segment of the item. At the same time, a motion detector arrangement preferably comprised of one or more microelectromechanical (MEMS) accelerometer devices generates signals corresponding to motion of the position indicator support member as it is moved along the item. These signals are processed in a signal processor to determine the volume of the uncut selected segment of the item lying between selected successive positions of the indication member. Each of these cumulative volume determinations are converted into numeric weight or price values based on the density factor for the particular type of item, whereby numeric weight and price values (based on weight) are displayed as the member is traversed along the item, thus enabling the operator to contemporaneously provide an on-looking consumer weight or price information before a particular segment is cut from the item. A visible light band is projected from the sensor bar onto a section of the item to clearly show the selected segment bounds corresponding to the numeric display to the onlooker.

Claims

1. An apparatus for displaying a numeric value corresponding to the volume of a segment of an item comprising:

a support surface for supporting said item;

a sensor support able to be stroked over said item to be positioned above any selected section of said item from any other position along said item;

an indicator providing a visual indication on said item of the position of said sensor support along said item;

a detector arrangement which generates signals corresponding to the movement of said sensor support in being stroked over said item from said any other position to be positioned above said any selected section;

a sensor arrangement generating signals corresponding to the contour of the segment of said item stroked over by said sensor support as said sensor support is moved to be positioned above said any selected section of said item;

a signal processor responsive to said signals generated by said detector arrangement and said sensor arrangement to compute therefrom the volume of the selected segment of said item defined by movement of said sensor support in moving over said item from said other position to a position over said selected section of said item; and

,

a display displaying a numeric value corresponding to said volume of said selected segment of said item as computed by said signal processor with said sensor support in position above said any selected section of said item.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said indicator comprises a visible light projector arrangement carried by said sensor support projecting a visible light line across said item at the section of said item over which said sensor support is located in each position of said sensor support along said item.

3. A method of displaying a numeric value corresponding to the volume of any selected segment of an item comprising:

disposing said item on a support surface;

displacing a sensor bar from a reference position over any section of said item to a position over a selected other section of said item, the portion of said item between said reference position section and said selected other section defining a selected segment thereof;

providing a visual reference on said item of each position of said sensor bar along said item;

generating sensor signals corresponding to the contour of said selected segment of said item as said sensor bar is displaced to said selected other section;

detecting the extent of displacement of said sensor bar towards said selected other section of said item, and generating corresponding detector signals;

processing said generated sensor and detector signals to calculate therefrom the volume of said selected segment of said item;

deriving a numeric value corresponding to the calculated volume of said selected segment; and

,

displaying a numeric value thereby derived with said sensor bar in position over said selected other section of said item.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein generating sensor signals corresponding to the contour of said selected segment of said item includes engaging an upper surface of said item simultaneously with a bottom end of each of a series of vertically moveable plungers carried by said sensor bar as said sensor bar passes over said item and generating signals corresponding to the vertical motion of each of said plungers during said displacement of said sensor bar and wherein said plungers lower ends in contact with said item provide said visual reference on said item.

5. The method according to claim 3 wherein providing said visual reference includes projecting a line of visible light across said item from said sensor bar to indicate the section of said item lying directly below said sensor bar, said line and numeric display being positioned to both be visible to an observer.

6. An apparatus for displaying a numeric value corresponding to the volume of any selected segment of an item comprising:

a support surface for supporting said item;

a sensor arrangement which is able to be manually selectively positioned aligned over any selected section of said item to be able to define a selected segment of said item extending between any two sections of said item;

a visual indicator providing a visual indication on said item corresponding to the position of said sensor arrangement over said item;

a detector arrangement which generates signals corresponding to the extent of displacement of said sensor arrangement from a position at which said sensor arrangement is aligned with a selected starting section of said item towards a position aligned with any selected other section of said item;

said sensor arrangement generating signals corresponding to the contour of said selected segment of said item extending between said starting section and said selected other section;

a signal processor receiving said signals generated by said detector arrangement and said sensor arrangement and computing therefrom the volume of said selected segment of said item defined between said selected starting section of said item and said selected other section of said item; and

,

a display enabling displaying a numeric value corresponding to said volume of the selected segment of the item as computed by said signal processor with said sensor arrangement at a position aligned with said selected other section of said item.

7. A method of displaying a numeric value corresponding to the volume of any selected segment of an item resting on a support surface comprising displacing an indicator along said item from a selected reference position with respect to said item while providing a visual indication on said item of the relative position of said indicator along said item;

detecting the extent of displacement of said indicator from said reference position;

sensing the contour of said item passed over by said indicator in being displaced along said item; and

, calculating the volume of a selected segment of said item between said reference position and a selected other position in respect to said item from said detected displacement and sensed item segment contour; and

, displaying a numeric value corresponding to said calculated volume of said selected segment after said indicator is in said selected other position.

8. The method according to claim 7 further including projecting visible light onto said item from said indicator to thereby provide said visual indication on said item of the position of said indicator along said item.

9. The method according to claim 7 wherein said sensing of said contour of said item is done by optical sensors utilizing visible light which also projects visible light onto said item to provide said visual indication.