Material transport in-motion product dimensioning system and method
CAFCFirst Claim
1. A system for dimensioning at least one discrete article carried on a material handling vehicle, the system comprising:
- a passage, the passage defining a space sufficient to allow passage of a material handling vehicle having a portion adapted to support, raise and lower a pallet carrying an article, the material handling vehicle having at least one known linear dimension;
at least one active linear dimension detection device for determining a combination dimension, the combination dimension being an aggregate linear dimension of the at least one discrete article carried on the material handling vehicle and the material handling vehicle; and
a computer system in communication with the at least one linear dimension detection device, the computer system being adapted to determine at least one linear dimension of the article by subtracting the known linear dimension from the combination dimension.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, systems, and devices to obtain dimensions of an article or product in association with material handling vehicles are disclosed. A dimension detection device is installed in an enclosure and is used to acquire geometrical dimensions of the object in association with the vehicle. A predetermined dimension of the vehicle is subtracted from the overall detected dimension to determine the dimensions, including weight, of the product alone. One or more dimension detection devices may also be positioned on a mast or other portion of the material handling vehicle allowing the material handling vehicle to act as a mobile product dimensioning system.
41 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A system for dimensioning at least one discrete article carried on a material handling vehicle, the system comprising:
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a passage, the passage defining a space sufficient to allow passage of a material handling vehicle having a portion adapted to support, raise and lower a pallet carrying an article, the material handling vehicle having at least one known linear dimension; at least one active linear dimension detection device for determining a combination dimension, the combination dimension being an aggregate linear dimension of the at least one discrete article carried on the material handling vehicle and the material handling vehicle; and a computer system in communication with the at least one linear dimension detection device, the computer system being adapted to determine at least one linear dimension of the article by subtracting the known linear dimension from the combination dimension. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system for actively dimensioning an article, the system comprising:
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a material handling vehicle, at least one active linear dimension detection device attached to a portion of the material handling vehicle, the dimension detection device positioned to move with the vehicle and to actively detect at least one linear dimension of the article when the article is loaded onto the material handling vehicle; and a computer system in communication with the at least one linear dimension detection device, the computer system being adapted to determine at least one linear dimension of the article. - View Dependent Claims (10, 22)
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11. A system for dimensioning at least one discrete article carried on a material handling vehicle, the system comprising:
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a passage, the passage defining a space sufficient to allow passage of a material handling vehicle, the material handling vehicle having at least one known linear dimension, the material handling vehicle being a truck having wheels for moving the vehicle over roadways; at least one active linear dimension detection device for determining a combination dimension, the combination dimension being an aggregate dimension of the at least one discrete article carried on the material handling vehicle and the material handling vehicle; and a program module in communication with the at least one linear dimension detection device, the program module being adapted to determine at least one linear dimension of the article by subtracting the known dimension from the combination dimension.
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12. A method of dimensioning at least one discrete article carried on a material handling vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a passage, the passage defining a space sufficient to allow passage of a material handling vehicle, the material handling vehicle having at least one known linear dimension, the material handling vehicle being a truck having wheels adapted to drive the material handling vehicle over roadways; providing at least one active linear dimension detection device associated with the passage; passing the material handling vehicle from one side of the passage through the passage so that the material handling vehicle exits the passage; detecting a combination dimension of the material handling vehicle and the at least one discrete article carried on a material handling vehicle while passing the material handling vehicle through the passage; and determining at least one linear dimension of the article by subtracting the known dimension from the combination dimension. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of dimensioning at least one discrete article carried on a material handling vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a material handling vehicle having the article loaded thereon; positioning an identifiable substance along the boundaries of one of the material handling vehicle and the article; and discriminating between the article and the material handling vehicle by detecting the identifiable substance to detect a linear dimension of the article. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of actively dimensioning an article, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a material handling vehicle; positioning at least one active linear dimension detection device on a portion of the material handling vehicle and retaining the device thereon to move with the vehicle; positioning at least one article on the material handling vehicle; and actively detecting at least one linear dimension of the article while positioned on the vehicle using the at least one linear dimension detection device. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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23. A method of dimensioning at least one discrete article carried on a material handling vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a passage, the passage defining a space sufficient to allow passage of a material handling vehicle, the material handling vehicle having at least one known linear dimension; providing at least one linear dimension detection device associated with the passage; passing the material handling vehicle from one side of the passage through the passage so that the material handling vehicle exits the passage; detecting a combination dimension of the material handling vehicle and the at least one discrete article carried on the material handling vehicle while passing the material handling vehicle through the passage; determining at least one linear dimension of the at least one discrete article by subtracting the known dimension from the combination dimension, and passing a different material handling vehicle having at least one known linear dimension from one side of the passage through the passage so that the different material handling vehicle exits the passage; detecting a combination dimension of the different material handling vehicle and another at least one discrete article while passing the material handling vehicle through the passage; and determining at least one linear dimension of the another article by subtracting the known dimension from the combination dimension.
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Specification