Enrollment apparatus, system, and method

• US 8,140,395 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2008
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rice Lake Weighing Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Proiam LLC
• Inventors: Murphy, Mike, Yarin, Paul, Metois, Eric, Crosby, Will, Pearce, Wilson, Durbin, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Champagne, Luna
• Application Number:
  US12/324,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20090222354A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/62 of area, perimeter, diameter or volume
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/64 Three-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1456 based on user interactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/424 Postal images, e.g. labels or addresses on parcels or postal envelopes
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00193 Constructional details of apparatus in a franking system
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00508 Printing or attaching on mailpieces printing mechanisms B41J; security printing B41M3/14; marking methods B41M5/00; inks C09D11/00; record carriers with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00661 Sensing or measuring mailpieces weighing G01G19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00225 Vending machine or POS (Point Of Sale) apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00685 Measuring the dimensions of mailpieces
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00701 Measuring the weight of mailpieces
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00725 Reading symbols, e.g. OCR

Abstract

An apparatus for enrolling a package is disclosed including: a receiving surface for receiving the package; at least one weight sensor in communication with the receiving surface which generates a weight signal indicative of the weight of the package; at least one video camera which generates a video signal indicative of an image of the package on the receiving surface; and a processor in communication with the at least one weight sensor and the at least one video camera. The processor includes: a weight module which produces, in response to the weight signal, weight data indicative of the weight of the package; and a dimension capture module which produces in response to the video signal, dimension data indicative of the size of the package. In some embodiments the processor further includes a recognition module which produces, in response to the video signal character data indicative of one or more characters present on the package.

Claims

1. An apparatus for enrolling a package placed in a stationary position on a stationary receiving surface comprising:

the stationary receiving surface;

at least one weight sensor in communication with the receiving surface which generates a weight signal indicative of the weight of the package;

a video camera unit located above the receiving surface on a support arm, wherein the camera unit;

operates in a first mode characterized by a relatively large two dimensional field of view to generate a first video signal characterized by a relatively low resolution and relatively high frame rate, and

operates in a second mode characterized by a relatively small field of view to generate a video signal characterized by a relatively high resolution and a relatively low frame rate; and

a processor in communication with the at least one weight sensor and the at least one video camera, said processor comprising;

a weight module which produces, in response to the weight signal, weight data indicative of the weight of the package;

a dimension capture module which produces, in response to one or more of the first video signal and the second video signal, dimension data indicative of the size of the package, wherein the dimension capture module comprises a tracking module which produces, in response to the first video signal, tracking data indicative of the presence and location of the package on the receiving surface, wherein the tracking information comprises

length and width dimension data indicative of the size of the package along two axes lying in a plane parallel to the receiving surface, and

height dimension data indicative of the size of the package along an axis transverse to the plane parallel to the receiving surface; and

a recognition module which produces, in response to the second video signal, character data indicative of one or more characters present on the package;

wherein the processor is configured to automatically switch the camera unit between the first and second modes; and

wherein each of the first and second video signals comprises a stream of two dimensional image frames.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the camera unit comprises a stereoscopic imager.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the dimension capture module produces, in response to a stereoscopic video signal from the stereoscopic imager, the height dimension data.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dimension capture module comprises an edge finder module which produces, in response to the first video signal, edge data indicative of the location of one or more edges of the package.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the dimension capture module comprises at least one chosen from the group consisting of:

a frame differencing module which generates two dimensional difference images from two or more two dimensional images of the first video signal; and

a color masking module configured to generate information indicative of the presence or location of the package based on color information from the video signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the dimension capture module comprises a Hough transformation module which applies the Hough transformation to one or more images from the first video signal, and analyzes the transformed images to determine information indicative of the size or location of edges on the package.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a rectangle tracking module configured to track the location of a substantially rectangular package based on the information indicative of the size or location of edges on the package.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the recognition module comprises:

an image processing module for processing one or more two dimensional images from the second video signal; and

an analysis module which analyzes the one or more processed images to produce the character data indicative of one or more characters present on the package.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the image processing module comprises at least one chosen from the list consisting of:

a color manipulating module for modifying the color of the one or more images;

a linear filter module for applying a linear image filter to the one or more images; and

a morphological filter module for applying one or more morphological operations to the one or more images.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the image processing module comprises an image segmentation module for segmenting the one or more images into one or more regions of interest based on the content of the images.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, where in the image processing module comprises an image rotation module which rotates at least a portion of the one or more images.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the image rotation module is in communication with the dimension capture module, and rotates at least a portion of the one or more images based on information from the dimension capture module indicative of the location of the package.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one camera unit comprises at least two cameras each generating a respective video signal, and wherein

the cameras have least partially overlapping fields of view, and

the processor comprises an image stitching module which, in response to the respective video signals, combines overlapping two dimensional images from the at least two cameras to produce a single image of the combined field of view of the cameras.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein substantially all locations on the receiving surface fall within the relatively large two dimensional field of view of the camera unit operating in the first mode.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the camera unit includes only a single camera.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiving surface comprises at least one indicia for aligning or focusing the camera unit.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the camera unit comprises an autofocus.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising an integrated housing comprising the receiving surface and processor.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the support arm extends between a proximal end connected to the housing and a distal end positioned above the receiving surface, said distal end supporting the camera unit.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one chosen from the group consisting of:

an RFID reader, and a bar code reader.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one weight sensor comprises:

a load cell, a MEMs device, a piezoelectric device, a spring scale, and a balance scale.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data indicative of one or more characters present on the package comprise data indicative of at least one chosen from the group consisting of:

an alphanumeric character, a symbol, a postal code, a post mark, a bar code, and a two dimensional bar code.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a postal meter in communication with the processor.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 further comprising a printer in communication with the processor.

25. A method of enrolling a package comprising:

providing an enrollment apparatus for enrolling a package placed in a stationary position on a stationary receiving surface comprising;

the stationary receiving surface;

at least one weight sensor in communication with the receiving surface which generates a weight signal indicative of the weight of the package;

a video camera unit located above the receiving surface on a support arm, wherein the camera unit;

operates in a first mode characterized by a relatively large two dimensional field of view to generate a first video signal characterized by a relatively low resolution and relatively high frame rate, and

operates in a second mode characterized by a relatively small field of view to generate a video signal characterized by a relatively high resolution and a relatively low frame rate; and

a processor in communication with the at least one weight sensor and the at least one video camera, said processor comprising;

a weight module which produces, in response to the weight signal, weight data indicative of the weight of the package;

a dimension capture module which produces, in response to one or more of the first video signal and the second video signal, dimension data indicative of the size of the package, wherein the dimension capture module comprises a tracking module which produces, in response to the first video signal, tracking data indicative of the presence and location of the package on the receiving surface, wherein the tracking information comprises

length and width dimension data indicative of the size of the package along two axes lying in a plane parallel to the receiving surface, and

height dimension data indicative of the size of the package along an axis transverse to the plane parallel to the receiving surface; and

a recognition module which produces, in response to the second video signal, character data indicative of one or more characters present on the package, wherein the processor is configured to automatically switch the camera unit between the first and second modes;

placing a package on the receiving surface;

using the enrollment apparatus to determine information indicative of the weight of the package;

using the enrollment apparatus to determine information indicative of the size of the package;

using the enrollment apparatus to determine information indicative of one or more characters present on the package; and

outputting the information indicative of the weight, size, and one or more characters present on the package.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the information indicative of the weight, size, and one or more characters present on the package, respectively, are determined substantially in parallel.

27. A system comprising:

an enrollment apparatus for enrolling a package placed in a stationary position on a stationary receiving surface comprising;

the stationary receiving surface;

at least one weight sensor in communication with the receiving surface which generates a weight signal indicative of the weight of the package;

a video camera unit located above the receiving surface on a support arm, wherein the camera unit;

operates in a first mode characterized by a relatively large two dimensional field of view to generate a first video signal characterized by a relatively low resolution and relatively high frame rate, and

operates in a second mode characterized by a relatively small field of view to generate a video signal characterized by a relatively high resolution and a relatively low frame rate; and

a processor in communication with the at least one weight sensor and the at least one video camera, said processor comprising;

a weight module which produces, in response to the weight signal, weight data indicative of the weight of the package;

a dimension capture module which produces, in response to one or more of the first video signal and the second video signal, dimension data indicative of the size of the package, wherein the dimension capture module comprises a tracking module which produces, in response to the first video signal, tracking data indicative of the presence and location of the package on the receiving surface, wherein the tracking information comprises

length and width dimension data indicative of the size of the package along two axes lying in a plane parallel to the receiving surface, and

height dimension data indicative of the size of the package along an axis transverse to the plane parallel to the receiving surface; and

a recognition module which produces, in response to the second video signal, character data indicative of one or more characters present on the package, wherein the processor is configured to automatically switch the camera unit between the first and second modes; and

a package management system,

wherein the enrollment apparatus is in communication with the package management system to provide information indicative of the weight, size, and one or more characters present on the package.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the package management system comprises at least one chosen from the list consisting of:

a package delivery system, a supply chain management system, an inventory management system, and a chain of custody management system.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the package management system comprises a point of sale unit, and wherein the point of sale unit generates and displays, in response to the information indicative of the weight, size, and one or more characters present on the package, information indicative of one or more available service options.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the point of sale unit comprises:

an input unit for receiving information from a user;

a service unit for providing information indicative of one or more available service options based on the information from the user and information indicative of the weight, size, and one or more characters present on the package.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the input unit comprises the enrollment apparatus.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the input unit receives a series of instructions from the user, and the service unit comprises a backwards chaining logic unit which dynamically determines and displays available service options based on the series of instructions and based information indicative of the weight, size, and one or more characters present on the package.

33. The system of claim 27, wherein the package management system comprises a point of service unit, and further comprising a handler module for facilitating communication between the enrollment apparatus and the point of service unit.