CONCEPTS FOR SORTING ITEMS USING A DISPLAY

• US 20150262348A1
• Filed: 03/11/2014
• Published: 09/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: SALZMAN, DAVID RAY, LOUBRIEL, PAUL AUGUSTINE, GRAY, JONATHAN, HESS, WILLIAM D., VAIDYA, DEVANG R., SKONBERG, CARL M., LOVERICH, SCOTT ALAN, ANDERSON, DUANE
• Granted Patent: US 9,646,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0004 Industrial image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/225 based on a marking or identifier characterising the area
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/06 Recognition of objects for industrial automation

Abstract

Concepts for presenting display features to a user of a system which comprises a display, an acquisition device, and a controller system. In various embodiments, the acquisition device is configured to capture image data of one or more items moving along a conveying mechanism and read item identifiers associated with each item. The system then associates or identifies display features with each item identifier and presents the captured image data with the display features presented on or near the image data of the items.

Claims

1. A system comprising an acquisition device, a controller system, and a display device for displaying information about one or more items moving along a path, the system configured to:

capture image data of an item moving along a path;

capture an item identifier for the item;

identify one or more display features based at least in part on the item identifier; and

cause display of at least a portion of the image data of the item and the one or more display features.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the item identifier is selected from the group consisting of an optical code, a barcode, a QR code, an RFID tag, or a character string.

3. The system of claim 1 further configured to determine a location of the item.

4. The system of claim 1 further configured to determine a location of the item at multiple instances in time while the item is located in the acquisition zone.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more display features are associated with the determined location of the item, and the display is configured to present the image data with the one or more display features located on or near the determined location of the item in the image data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the display is configured to present the image data and the one or more display features after a time delay.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the time delay is determined based at least in part on:

the distance between a point in the acquisition zone and a corresponding point in a work zone, measured along the path; and

the speed at which the items are moving along the path.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to receive a value representing the time delay.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more display features comprise at least one handling instruction.

10. A method of displaying information about one or more items moving along a path comprising the following steps:

(1) capturing image data of an item moving along a path;

(2) receiving an item identifier for the item;

(3) identifying one or more display features based at least in part on the item identifier;

(4) associating the one or more display features with the item identifier and the image data; and

(5) displaying the image data and the one or more display features.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the item identifier is selected from the group consisting of an optical code, a barcode, a QR code, an RFID tag, or a character string.

12. The method of claim 10, additionally comprising the step of determining a location of the item.

13. The method of claim 10, additionally comprising the step of determining a location of the item at multiple instances in time.

14. The method of claim 12, additionally comprising the step of associating the one or more display features with the determined location of the item, and presenting the image data with the one or more display features located on or near the determined location of the item in the image data.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of displaying the image data and the one or more display features occurs after a time delay.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the time delay is determined based at least in part on:

the distance between a point in the acquisition zone and a corresponding point in a work zone, measured along the path; and

the speed at which the items are moving along the path.

17. The method of claim 15, additionally comprising the step of receiving a value representing the time delay prior to displaying the image data and associated display features.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the display features comprise at least one handling instruction.

19. A computer program product for displaying information regarding an item travelling along a path, the computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

an executable portion configured to receive image data of an item moving along a path;

an executable portion configured to receive an item identifier for the item;

an executable portion configured to identify one or more display features based at least in part on the item identifier;

an executable portion configured to associate the one or more display features with the item identifier and the image data; and

an executable portion configured to display the image data and one or more display features.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the item identifier is selected from the group consisting of an optical code, a barcode, a QR code, an RFID tag, or a character string.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, additionally comprising an executable portion for determining a location of the item.

22. The computer program product of claim 19, additionally comprising an executable portion for determining a location of the item at multiple instances in time.

23. The computer program product of claim 21, additionally comprising an executable portion for associating the one or more display features with the determined location of the item and displaying the image data with the one or more display features located on or near the determined location of the item in the image data.

24. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the executable portion configured to display the image data and the one or more display features is configured to wait a time delay prior to displaying the image data and the one or more display features.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein the time delay is determined based at least in part on:

the distance between a point in the acquisition zone and a corresponding point in a work zone, measured along the path; and

the speed at which the items are moving along the path.

26. The computer program product of claim 24, additionally comprising an executable portion configured to receive a value representing the time delay to wait prior to displaying the image data and the one or more display features.

27. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the display features comprise at least one handling instruction.