CONTAINER WITH DETECTION DEVICE FOR DETERMINING A STATUS OF THE CONTAINER AND MONITORING SYSTEM FOR DYNAMIC STATUS MONITORING WITH AT LEAST ONE SUCH CONTAINER

• US 20130335557A1
• Filed: 08/03/2011
• Published: 12/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wurth elektronik eisos gmbh & co. kg, Wurth Industrie Service GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Wurth elektronik eisos gmbh & co. kg
• Inventors: Faber, Albrecht, Hoffmann, Franz-Josef, Wittig, KIaus
• Granted Patent: US 9,897,720 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/135
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• 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: G01F 23/292 Light , e.g. infrared or ultraviolet
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 8/10 Detecting, e.g. by using light barriers by reflection from the object G01S17/00

Abstract

A container for the transport and/or the storage of objects is described. A container of this type features a detection device for determining information on the occupancy status and/or the filling status of the container. The detection device is capable of detecting different light intensities in the region of the inner container wall and of generating corresponding sensor signals. Furthermore, an interface is provided for producing a connection with a signal processing unit, in which image information on the filling status and/or occupancy status of the container can be generated based on the sensor signals.

Claims

1. A container for the transport and/or the storage of objects comprising:

a bottom and a side wall that define an inner wall of the container, a detection device that is integrated into the side wall or arranged thereon and features an optical system and an integrated optical sensor, wherein the detection device is designed for generating sensor signals in accordance with intensities of electromagnetic radiation, particularly light intensities, in the interior of the container, and

a first interface that is functionally connected to the detection device and serves for transmitting the sensor signals to a signal processing unit with a function for generating image information based on the sensor signals in order to determine information on an occupancy status and/or filling status of the container.

2. The container according to claim 1, wherein the detection device is equipped with at least one camera with an optical system that features a single pin diaphragm or at least one lens in front of or behind a diaphragm or at least one lens, wherein the optical sensor is arranged in the image plane of the optical system.

3. The container according to claim 1, wherein the container further comprises the signal processing unit that is connected to the detection device and designed for converting the sensor signals generated by the optical sensor into image information, as well as a second interface for transmitting the image information to an analyzing unit that is designed for determining the occupancy status and/or filling status of the container.

4. The container according to claim 3, wherein the analyzing unit is arranged on the container adjacent to the detection device and/or the signal processing unit, and is functionally connected to the second interface in a wire-bound fashion.

5. The container according to claim 3, wherein the analyzing unit is arranged separately of the container and is functionally connected to the second interface at least sectionally in a wireless fashion or by means of a radio link.

6. The container according to claim 3, wherein the analyzing unit is configured to

determine image points in the form of projection points of contour points of objects situated in the container during the analysis of the image information,

determine at least one contour line that lies on the determined contour points and

determine information on the occupancy status and/or filling status of the container from the at least one contour line.

7. The container according to claim 3, wherein the analyzing unit is configured to

identify in the image information locations or areas with tristimulus values and/or brightness values that lie within or outside of a predefined value range or locations or areas, the tristimulus value and/or brightness value of which deviates from a predefined value by a minimum amount, and

determine information on the occupancy status and/or the filling status of the container based on the number of these locations or areas, wherein the tristimulus values and/or brightness values used for the occupancy status and/or filling status of the container are optionally assigned to pixels of the image information received from the analyzing unit.

8. The container according to claim 3, wherein the analyzing unit is configured to

detect regular structures and/or patterns in or on the bottom and/or the side wall that form the inner container wall and

determine information on the occupancy status and/or filling status of the container based on the degree, to which the regular structures and/or patterns are covered.

9. The container according to claim 3, wherein the analyzing unit is configured to

identify in the image information at least two different groups of areas or locations that are determined with respect to at least one area of tristimulus values or brightness values or at least one predefined tristimulus value and/or brightness value and

determine information on the occupancy status and/or filling status of the container based on the respective number of areas or locations in the two different groups.

10. The container according to claim 1, wherein the bottom and the side wall forming the inner container wall are adapted to the detection device in such a way that the tristimulus values and/or brightness values detected by the detection device for the inner container wall and the tristimulus values and/or brightness values detected by the detection device for objects differ by a predefined detection threshold value.

11. The container according to claim 1, wherein

the optical system further comprises at least one filter that is configured such that the detection device can only detect electromagnetic radiation from a frequency range defined such that locations or areas of the bottom and/or of the inner container wall with predetermined tristimulus values and/or brightness values are detected for the analyzing unit, and

the analyzing unit comprises a function that is configured to determine information on the occupancy status and/or filling status of the container based on the detected locations or areas.

12. The container according to claim 1, wherein

the container comprises a power supply module that is connected to the detection device via an electric supply line, and

the container comprises an activation device that is functionally connected to the power supply module and/or to the analyzing unit and is configured to activate the power supply module and the analyzing unit for a detection and analysis period.

13. A monitoring system for presence detection and/or filling level monitoring with at least one container with the characteristics of claim 1 and a receiver that is configured separately of the container and comprises an analyzing unit that is connected to the signal processing unit and/or the detection device via the respective interface for receiving the image information and/or the sensor signals.

14. The monitoring system according to claim 13, wherein the analyzing unit determines a filling level value that is specific to the filling level situation.

15. The monitoring system according to claim 13, wherein the monitoring system is configured to determine the actual location and/or presence at a particular location of a particular container.

16. A container module for retrofitting a container, wherein the container module is configured to be integrated into or arranged on a side wall of the container and comprises

a detection device with an optical system and an integrated optical sensor, wherein the detection device is configured to generate sensor signals in accordance with intensities of electromagnetic radiation in the interior of the container,

a signal processing unit with a function for generating image information based on the sensor signals in order to determine an occupancy status and/or filling status of the container and

a first interface that is functionally connected to the detection device and serves for transmitting the sensor signals to the signal processing unit.