×

Automated system for identifying and dimensioning packages transported through a laser scanning tunnel using laser scanning beam indexing techniques

  • US 6,517,004 B2
  • Filed: 09/21/1998
  • Issued: 02/11/2003
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1995
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
Patent Images

1. An automated package identification and dimensioning system capable of (i) identifying packages by reading bar code symbols on said packages while transported through a three-dimensional laser scanning volume disposed above a conveyor belt structure, and (ii) measuring dimensional characteristics of said packages while said packages are transported along the conveyor belt structure through said three-dimensional laser scanning volume, said automated package identification and dimensioning system comprising:

  • a conveyor belt structure for transporting packages along a predetermined direction;

    a scanner support framework arranged above said conveyor belt structure, for supporting a package identification subsystem providing a tunnel-like scanning arrangement above said conveyor belt structure through which said conveyor belt structure extends and along which said packages are transported in an automated manner, wherein said tunnel-like scanning arrangement has an entry port and an exit port;

    said package identification subsystem having a plurality of laser scanning subsystems, each said laser scanning subsystem being mounted from said scanner support framework and projecting a laser scanning pattern confined substantially within a three-dimensionial laser scanning volume disposed above said conveyor belt structure, so that when each said package is transported through said three-dimensional laser scanning volume, the bar code symbol on said package is automatically read and a scan beam data element is automatically generated, wherein said scan beam data element includes (i) symbol character data representative of the bar code symbol read by at least one said laser scanning beam and the identity of said package, and (ii) laser scanning beam index data indicative of said at least one laser scanning beam used to read said bar code symbol;

    a package dimensioning subsystem, mounted above said conveyor belt structure and before said entry port of said tunnel-like scanning arrangement, for optically scanning each said package as said package is transported through said three-dimensional laser scanning volume, and automatically generating a package dimension data element for each optically scanned package, wherein each said package dimension data element contains package dimension-related data representative of one or more dimension-related characteristics of said optically scanned package;

    a data element queuing, handling and processing subsystem including a time-stamping module for time-stamping each package identification data element produced from said package identification subsystem and each package dimension data element produced from said package dimensioning subsystem so as to produce a time-stamped scan beam data element for each time-stamped package identification data element, and a time-stamped package dimension data element for each time-stamped package dimension data element, a system event queue structure having a first data input port, a first data output port and a first queuing mechanism for queuing each time-stamped scan beam data element and each time-stamped package dimension data element produced by said time-stamping module, wherein each said time-stamped package dimension data element is indicative of a dimensioned package present within said tunnel-like scanning arrangement, and each said time-stamped scan beam data element is indicative of an identified package present within said tunnel-like scanning arrangement, a moving-package tracking queue structure having a second data input port, a second data output port, and a second queuing mechanism for queuing each time-stamped package dimension data element removed from the first data output port of said system event queue structure, a data element analyzer for analyzing each data element at the first output data port of said system event queue structure to determine if the data element at said first data output port is a time-stamped package dimension data element or a time-stamped scan beam data element, and placing each analyzed time-stamped package dimension data element into the first input port of said moving package tracking queue structure;

    a data element combining module for combining (i) the time-stamped package dimension data element at the second Output data port of said moving-package tracking queue structure with (ii) each and every time-stamped scan beam data element within said system event queue structure so as to produce a plurality of package data element pairs, wherein each said package data element pair includes a time-stamped package dimension data element containing package dimension-related data, and a time-stamped scan beam data element containing symbol character data and laser scanning beam index data, a package surface modeling module for generating a surface geometry model of the package represented by the package dimension related data contained within each said package data element pair, a scan beam modeling module for generating a ray tracing model of the laser scanning beam represented by the laser scanning beam index data contained with each said package data element pair, and a scan beam and package surface intersection determination module for determining the occurrence of an intersection between the surface geometry model and the ray tracing model associated with each package data element pair, so as to determine that the time-stamped package dimension data element within said package data element pair is correlated with the corresponding time-stamped scan beam data element within said package data element pair, and if so, generating an output data element containing the time-stamped scan beam data element correlated with the time-stamped package dimension data element, thereby identifying each said package transported through said three-dimensional laser scanning volume while providing a measure of the dimension-related characteristics thereof in an automated manner.

View all claims
  • 8 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×