System and Method for Package Dimensioning

• US 20150063676A1
• Filed: 08/18/2014
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: McCloskey, Scott, Lloyd, Ryan Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 9,464,885 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/141
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/02 for measuring length, width or thickness G01B11/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/24 for measuring contours or curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/24 Classification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/62 of area, perimeter, diameter or volume

Abstract

A system and method for package dimensioning is provided. The package-dimensioning system includes an image capturing subsystem for acquiring information about an object within the image-capturing subsystem'"'"'s field of view. A features-computation module analyzes object information and compiles a feature set describing the object'"'"'s surface features. A classification module analyzes the feature set and categorizes the object'"'"'s shape. A shape-estimation module estimates the dimensions of the object.

Claims

1. A package-dimensioning system, comprising:

an image-capturing subsystem for acquiring information about an object within the image-capturing subsystem'"'"'s field of view;

a features-computation module for analyzing object information acquired by the image-capturing subsystem and compiling a feature set describing the object'"'"'s surface features;

a classification module for analyzing the feature set describing the object'"'"'s surface features and for categorizing the object'"'"'s shape; and

a shape-estimation module for estimating dimensions of the object, the shape-estimation module comprising a plurality of shape-specific submodules adapted for estimating the dimensions of particular shapes.

2. The package-dimensioning system according to claim 1, wherein the image-capturing subsystem comprises a range camera.

3. The package-dimensioning system according to claim 1, wherein the image-capturing subsystem is configured to generate a range image with respect to the object.

4. The package-dimensioning system according to claim 3, wherein the features-computation module is configured to analyze the range image.

5. The package-dimensioning system according to claim 1, wherein the features-computation module is configured to compile a relative histogram describing the object'"'"'s surface features.

6. The package-dimensioning system according to claim 1, wherein the classification module is configured to select the shape-specific submodule for estimating the dimensions of the object.

7. A package-dimensioning system, comprising:

an image-capturing subsystem for acquiring information about a plurality of objects within the image-capturing subsystem'"'"'s field of view;

a features-computation module for analyzing object information acquired by the image-capturing subsystem and for compiling a feature set describing each object'"'"'s surface features;

a classification module for analyzing the feature set describing each object'"'"'s surface features and for categorizing each object'"'"'s shape; and

a shape-estimation module for estimating dimensions of each object, the shape-estimation module comprising a plurality of shape-specific submodules adapted for estimating the dimensions of particular shapes.

8. The package-dimensioning system according to claim 7, wherein the image-capturing subsystem comprises a range camera.

9. The package-dimensioning system according to claim 7, wherein the image-capturing subsystem is configured to generate a range image with respect to each object.

10. The package-dimensioning system according to claim 9, wherein the features-computation module is configured to analyze the range image associated with each object.

11. The package-dimensioning system according to claim 7, wherein the features-computation module is configured to compile a relative histogram describing each object'"'"'s surface features.

12. The package-dimensioning system according to claim 7, wherein the classification module is configured to select the shape-specific submodule for estimating the dimensions of each object.

13. The package-dimensioning system according to claim 7, wherein the features-computation module is configured to differentiate the information about the plurality of objects into discrete object-specific information.

14. A method for estimating the dimensions of a package, comprising:

acquiring an image of an object; and

compiling a feature set describing the object'"'"'s surface features;

categorizing the object'"'"'s shape based on the feature set; and

estimating the dimensions of the object based on the categorization of the object'"'"'s shape.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the image of an object is acquired using a range camera.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the feature set comprises a relative histogram describing the object'"'"'s surface features.