Automated package dimensioning subsystem

• US 20070181685A1
• Filed: 09/12/2006
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhu, Xiaoxun, Good, Timothy, Ghosh, Sankar, Kolis, George, Germaine, Gennady, Colavito, Stephen, Blake, Robert, Rockstein, George, Schnee, Michael, Au, Ka, Wilz, David, Tsikos, Constantine, Naylor, Charles, Knowles, Carl, Lodge, Francis
• Granted Patent: US 7,527,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/454
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 15/00 Nanotechnology for interacting, sensing or actuating, e.g. quantum dots as markers in protein assays or molecular motors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/58 Velocity or trajectory determination systems; Sense-of-movement determination systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/88 Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4817 relating to scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4818 using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/106 having diffraction gratings as scanning elements, e.g. holographic scanners holographic optical elements G02B5/32, holography G03H
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1013 Multi-focal
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10 by electromagnetic radiation, e.g. optical sensing; by corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10564 Light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10584 Source control
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10594 Beam path
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10603 Basic scanning using moving elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10663 using hologram
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10673 Parallel lines
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10693 for omnidirectional scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10702 Particularities of propagating elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors G06K7/10831 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10792 Special measures in relation to the object to be scanned
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10801 : Multidistance reading
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10811 : Focalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10851 : Circuits for pulse shaping, amplifying, eliminating noise signals, checking the function of the sensing device basic electronic circuitry H03
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10861 : sensing of data fields affixed to objects or articles, e.g. coded labels postal sorting B07C3/14, conveying articles B65G47/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10871 : randomly oriented data-fields, code-marks therefore, e.g. concentric circles-code
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10881 : constructional details of hand-held scanners
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10891 : the scanner to be worn on a finger or on a wrist
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/109 : adaptations to make the hand-held scanner useable as a fixed scanner
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 : using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 : Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 : with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28575 : on semiconductor bodies comprising AIIIBV compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/452 : on AIII-BV compounds

Abstract

An automated package dimensioning subsystem comprising a Laser Detecting and Ranging (LADAR-based) scanning apparatus for capturing two-dimensional range data maps of the space above a conveyor structure, along which packages are transported, and an image contour tracing apparatus for extracting package dimension data from the two-dimensional range data maps.

Claims

1-42. -42. (canceled)

43. An automated package dimensioning subsystem comprising:

(i) Laser Detecting And Ranging (LADAR-based) scanning apparatus for capturing two-dimensional range data maps of the space above a conveyor structure, along which packages are transported, and

(ii) image contour tracing apparatus for extracting package dimension data from said two-dimensional range data maps.

44. The automated package dimensioning system of claim 43, wherein the velocity of each said package is computed by using a pair of amplitude modulated laser beams projected from said package dimensioning subsystem at different angular projections over said conveyor belt structure along which said packages are transported.

45. The automated package dimensioning system of claim 43, wherein the amplitude modulated laser beams have multiple wavelengths to sense packages having a wide range of reflectivity characteristics.