Apparatus and method for producing a numeric display corresponding to the volume of a selected segment of an item

• US 7,010,457 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2005
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kenneth Wargon
• Original Assignee: Kenneth Wargon
• Inventors: Wargon, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Nghiem, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cherry, Stephen J.
• Application Number:
  US11/142,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20050222805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 279 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 702/156
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 17/0013 Boards or blocks for cutting or chopping meat
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 17/0073 using visual recognition, X-rays, ultrasounds, or other contactless means to determine quality or size of portioned meat
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 17/008 for measuring quality, e.g. to determine further processing
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 17/0086 Calculating cutting patterns based on visual recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 25/18 Cutting fish into portions
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 25/185 Hand tools for cutting fish
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/00 Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques
• 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: G01B 17/06 for measuring contours or curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/2179 Including means to move, or resist movement of, cut pieces along delivery chute
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/525 Operation controlled by detector means responsive to work
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/7487 Means to clamp work

Abstract

An apparatus and method for displaying the weight or cost of an uncut selected segment of an item involves passing a position indicating member over the item lying on a support surface. The position indicating member carries one or more sensors which generate signals corresponding to cross sectional contours of the item as the member is traversed along the item from a reference position to a selected other position over this item, defining the selected segment of the item. A motion detector arrangement preferably comprised of one or more microelectromechanical accelerometer devices generates signals corresponding to motion of the position indicator support member as it is moved along the item. These signals are processed in a signal processor to determine the volume of the segment of the item lying between selected successive positions of the indication member. The segment volumes are converted into numeric weight or price values.

Claims

1. An apparatus for displaying a numeric value corresponding to the volume of a segment of an item comprising:

a support surface for supporting said item;

a sensor bar;

a support for positioning said sensor bar spaced above said item in a manner allowing said sensor bar to be passed over said item and positioned above any selected section of said item from any other position along said item;

a motion detector accelerometer arrangement which generates signals corresponding to the motion of said sensor bar in moving from said any other position to be positioned above said any selected section;

a sensor arrangement generating signals corresponding to the cross sectional contour of successive sections of said item passed by said sensor bar as said sensor bar is moved to be positioned above said any selected section of said item;

a signal processor responsive to said signals generated by said motion detector arrangement and said sensor arrangement to compute therefrom the volume of a selected segment of said item defined by movement of said sensor bar in moving over said item from said other position to a position over said selected section of said item; and

a display displaying a numeric value corresponding to said volume of said selected segment of the item as computed by said signal processor with said sensor bar in position above said any selected section of said item.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said motion detector arrangement includes a micro electromechanical accelerometer arrangement mounted to said sensor bar for motion therewith.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said sensor bar includes a pair of support posts each extending downwardly from said sensor bar at a respective end thereof, said support posts each having a lower end contacting said support surface to provide said support of said sensor bar at a predetermined height above said support surface to be stroked over said item on said support surface each of said support posts has an associated respective microelectromechanical accelerometer arrangement mounted thereto which generates signals corresponding to the motion of the respective support post.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said signals correspond to the extent and direction of said motion of said lower end of each of said support posts.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein each accelerometer arrangement generates signals corresponding to the direction and extent of motion of each support post.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said accelerometer arrangements are mounted to said sensor posts substantially above said lower end of each support post and detect motion of said sensor bar causing tilt of said support posts and generates tilt signals corresponding thereto further including an alarm responsive to said tilts signals indicating a tilt out of plumb of said sensor bar and support posts to a predetermined degree.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sensor bar support allows free and unconstrained manual movement of said sensor bar in any direction on said support surface, and allows lifting of said sensor bar off said support surface, and wherein said accelerometer arrangement detects vertical motion of said sensor bar to detect lifting motion thereof.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said sensor arrangement comprises a series of spaced apart vertically extendable plungers arranged along said sensor bar, each plunger biased downwardly to be urged towards said support surface to bring a tip thereof into contact with an upper surface of said item or the support surface lying below said plungers, and further including a motion detector plunger accelerometer for each plunger generating signals corresponding to the motion of an associated plunger in being extended or retracted, said signal processor receiving said signals from each of said plunger accelerometers and determining therefrom the height above said support surface of a point on said upper surface of said item lying on an item section beneath a respective plunger to thereby enable determination of the cross-sectional contour of each successive section of said item extending in a direction along said series of plungers, and whether a respective plunger is fully retracted into said sensor bar or resting on said item or said support surface.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 further including an arrangement carried by said sensor bar projecting a thin light band across said item at the section of said item the cross sectional contour of which is being sensed by said sensor arrangement in each position of said sensor bar.

10. A method of displaying a numeric value corresponding to the volume of any selected segment of an item comprising:

disposing said item on a support surface;

supporting a sensor bar at a preset height above said support surface sufficient to clear said item;

moving said sensor bar over said support surface to cause said sensor bar to pass along said item from a reference position over any section of said item to reach a position over a selected other section of said item, the portion of said item between said reference position section and said selected other section defining a selected segment thereof;

generating sensor signals corresponding to the cross-sectional contour of successive sections of said item passing beneath said sensor bar as said sensor bar is moved to said selected section;

detecting motion of said sensor bar as said sensor bar is passed over and along said item by detecting accelerations thereof and generating corresponding detector signals;

processing said generated sensor and detector signals to calculate therefrom the volume of said selected segment of said item;

deriving a numeric value corresponding to the calculated volume of said selected segment; and

displaying a numeric value thereby derived after said sensor bar reaches a position over any selected other section of said item.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein generating sensor signals corresponding to the cross-sectional contour of successive sections of said item includes engaging an upper surface of said item simultaneously with a bottom end of each of a series of vertically moveable plungers carried by said sensor bar as said sensor bar passes over said item and generating signals corresponding to the vertical motion of each of said plungers during said relative movement of said sensor bar by detecting accelerations thereof.

12. The method according to claim 10 wherein in supporting said sensor bar said sensor bar is allowed to be freely lifted and taken away from said support surface, and wherein detecting motion of said sensor bar includes detecting vertical motion of said sensor bar to detect thereby lifting of said sensor bar from said support surface.

13. The method according to claim 10 further including projecting a light band across said item from a series of light sources extending along said sensor bar to indicate that section of said item lying below said sensor bar which corresponds to sensor signals being generated within that sensor bar position, said light band and numeric display both visible to an onlooker.

14. A method of generating a numeric display corresponding to the volume of any selected segment of an item comprising:

disposing said item on a support surface;

relatively moving a sensor bar with respect to said support surface to cause said sensor bar to move along said item in either direction along said item;

generating sensor signals corresponding to the cross-sectional contour of successive sections of said item passing said sensor bar as said sensor bar is moved relative thereto;

detecting the accelerations of said sensor bar along said item as said sensor bar is passed over and along said item from an initial reference position over one section of said item and generating corresponding motion detection signals;

processing said generated sensor and motion detection signals to derive therefrom the volume of a selected segment of said item defined as the portion thereof extending from said one section corresponding to said reference position of said sensor bar to a selected other section corresponding to any selected other position of said sensor bar along said item; and

displaying a numeric value corresponding to said volume of said selected segment derived from said sensor and motion detection signals.

15. A method of displaying the weight or price of any selected segment of an item to a purchaser observing said item comprising:

passing a sensor arrangement along said item from a reference position adjacent to a first section of said item while generating sensor signals corresponding to the cross-sectional contour of each successive section of said item passed by said sensor arrangement in reaching a position adjacent to a selected other section of said item;

detecting the accelerations of said sensor arrangement in moving along said item from said reference position to a selected other section and generating corresponding motion detection signals;

calculating the total volume of said selected segment of said item defined by the portion thereof extending from said first section to said selected other section from said sensor signals and said motion detection signals and displaying a corresponding numeric value corresponding to said calculated volume when said sensor arrangement is positioned adjacent to said selected other section of said item so as to allow viewing of the same by said purchaser; and

displaying a numeric value corresponding to said volume of any selected segment of the item as computed by said signal processor with said sensor arrangement positioned adjacent said selected section of said item.

16. An apparatus for displaying a numeric value corresponding to the volume of any selected segment of an item comprising:

a support surface for supporting said item;

a sensor arrangement;

a support for said sensor arrangement freely allowing relative movement on said support surface back and forth in either direction along an item across so that said sensor arrangement can be manually selectively positioned aligned with any selected section of said item;

a motion detector arrangement which generates signals corresponding to the accelerations of said sensor arrangement support in being moved from a position at which said sensor arrangement support is aligned with a selected starting section of said item to a position aligned to any selected other section of said item;

said sensor arrangement generating signals corresponding to the cross sectional contour of successive sections of said item passed by said sensor arrangement in being moved to be aligned with said selected other section;

a signal processor receiving said signals generated by said motion detector arrangement and said sensor arrangement and computing therefrom the volume of a selected segment of said item defined between said selected starting section of said item and said selected other section of said item; and

,

a display enabling displaying a numeric value corresponding to said volume of the selected segment of the item as computed by said signal processor with said sensor arrangement support at a position aligned with said selected other section of said item.

17. An apparatus for displaying a numeric value corresponding to the price of any selected segment of an item to be sold comprising:

a support surface for supporting said item;

a sensor arrangement;

a sensor arrangement support for mounting said sensor arrangement to be freely movable across said support surface in opposite directions along said item so that said sensor arrangement can be selectively positioned adjacent to any section of said item from any other position along said item;

a motion detector arrangement which generates signals corresponding to the accelerations of said sensor arrangement support in being moved from a reference position adjacent one section of said item to be positioned adjacent to any other section of said item;

said sensor arrangement generating signals corresponding to the cross sectional contour of successive sections of said item passed by said sensor arrangement in being moved from said reference position;

a signal processor receiving said signals generated by said motion detector arrangement and said sensor arrangement and computing therefrom the volume of each segment of said item defined between said one section of said item and each other section of said item; and

,

a display substantially contemporaneously displaying numeric values corresponding to the price of each segment of said item as computed by said signal processor as said sensor arrangement is moved along said item.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said motion detector arrangement includes microelectromechanical accelerometers.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said motion detector arrangement comprises at least one accelerometer cluster detecting motion of said sensor support arrangement in any direction in a plane of said support surface.

20. The apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said motion detector arrangement includes at least one multi-axis accelerometer cluster which detects vertical motion of said sensor arrangement support as well as motions in a plane parallel to said support surface.

21. A method of displaying a numeric value corresponding to the volume of a selected segment of an item comprising the steps of:

disposing said item on a support surface;

supporting a sensor arrangement above said surface so as to clear said item;

manually moving said sensor arrangement relative to said support surface in either direction along the item to enable said sensor arrangement to be positioned over any selected other section of said item by displacement from a position over a reference section of said item;

generating signals corresponding to the cross-sectional contour of successive sections of said item passing beneath said sensor arrangement as said sensor arrangement is passed thereover;

detecting the accelerations of said sensor arrangement in moving from said position over said reference section of said item to a successive selected position and generating corresponding motion detector signals;

processing said generated sensor arrangement and motion detector signals to calculate therefrom the volume of each segment of said item defined between said reference section and successive sections thereof passed by said sensor arrangement in moving to said position over said selected other section;

deriving a numeric value corresponding to a calculated volume of each successive segment; and

displaying said numeric value thereby derived upon reaching each successive section.

22. A method of displaying a numeric value corresponding to the volume of a selected segment of an item resting on a support surface comprising moving an indicator along said item from a selected reference position with respect to said item while detecting the accelerations of said indicator in moving along said item, sensing the cross sectional contour of successive sections of said item passed in moving along said item, and calculating the volume of a selected segment of said item traversed by said indicator in reaching a selected other position in respect to said item from said detected accelerations and sensed cross sectional contours;

and displaying a numeric value corresponding to said calculated volume of said selected segment after said indicator reaches said selected other position.

23. The method according to claim 22 wherein said numeric value comprises the weight of said selected segment.

24. The method according to claim 22 wherein said numeric value comprises a price based on weight of said selected segment.

25. The method according to claim 22 wherein said numeric value is displayed substantially contemporaneously as said indicator reaches said other position.

26. The method according to claim 22 wherein said numeric value is displayed adjacent to said indicator.

27. The method according to claim 22 wherein a movable elongated bar is positioned above said item and used as said indicator.

28. The method according to claim 27 further including projecting a light band onto a section of said item from said elongated bar to thereby indicate a relationship of a section of said item to the position of said elongated bar.

29. The method according to claim 28 wherein said light band is projected from the underside of said elongated bar.

30. The method according to claim 27 including, constraining said elongated bar to move along a single axis while allowing back and forth motion therealong, and detecting said accelerations therealong with a single axis accelerometer.

31. The method according to claim 22 further including cutting said selected segment from said item.

32. The method according to claim 22 further including placing a separate element across said item at said selected reference position of said indicator prior to moving said indicator away from said reference position.