Method for the optical identification of objects in motion
First Claim
1. A method for the optical identification of objects in motion, comprising the following steps:
- acquiring, by at least one camera having, at least during such an acquisition, a respective predetermined magnification ratio, at least one image of a predetermined detection area, said at least one image containing at least one portion of at least one object travelling through the detection area along a predetermined advancing direction;
determining the position of said at least one portion of said at least one object along the predetermined advancing direction with respect to a predetermined reference system;
detecting, in said at least one image or in at least one subsequent image containing said at least one portion of at least one object, at least one coded information travelling through the detection area along the predetermined advancing direction, said detection being carried out, respectively, by said at least one camera or by a distinct camera having a predetermined relative position with respect to said at least one camera and, at least during the acquisition of said at least one image or of said at least one subsequent image, a respective predetermined magnification ratio;
reading said at least one coded information;
determining the position of at least one portion of said at least one coded information along the predetermined advancing direction within the image;
detecting, by said at least one camera or said at least one distinct camera, at least one reference physical dimension belonging to at least one surface portion of said at least one object or of said at least one coded information within said image or said at least one subsequent image;
determining the distance of said at least one surface portion from said at least one camera and, if provided, from said at least one distinct camera on the basis of said at least one reference physical dimension and of the magnification ratio of the camera by which said at least one reference physical dimension has been detected;
determining the position of said at least one portion of coded information along the predetermined advancing direction with respect to the predetermined reference system on the basis of said distance and of the position of said at least one portion of said at least one coded information along the predetermined advancing direction within the image;
associating said at least one coded information with a respective object travelling through the detection area when said at least one coded information is detected, said association being made on the basis of said position of said at least one portion of said at least one object with respect to the predetermined reference system and of said position of said at least one portion of said at least one coded information with respect to the predetermined reference system,wherein the step of detecting at least one reference physical dimension comprises the steps of;
determining the displacement of said at least one object along said advancing direction; and
determining the maximum size of said at least one object along said advancing direction on the basis of said displacement,wherein said at least one camera and said at least one distinct camera each is a digital camera having a two-dimensional field of view.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The method includes the steps of acquiring, by at least one camera having a predetermined magnification ratio, at least one image containing at least one coded information and at least one object and properly associating the coded information with the at least one object on the basis of the position of the coded information and of the at least one object along an advancing direction with respect to a fixed reference system. The above-mentioned position of the coded information is determined starting from the position of the coded information within the image acquired by the camera and on the basis of the distance of the coded information from the camera. Such a distance is in turn determined on the basis of the magnification factor of a reference physical dimension detected at a surface of the object or of the coded information.
12 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for the optical identification of objects in motion, comprising the following steps:
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acquiring, by at least one camera having, at least during such an acquisition, a respective predetermined magnification ratio, at least one image of a predetermined detection area, said at least one image containing at least one portion of at least one object travelling through the detection area along a predetermined advancing direction; determining the position of said at least one portion of said at least one object along the predetermined advancing direction with respect to a predetermined reference system; detecting, in said at least one image or in at least one subsequent image containing said at least one portion of at least one object, at least one coded information travelling through the detection area along the predetermined advancing direction, said detection being carried out, respectively, by said at least one camera or by a distinct camera having a predetermined relative position with respect to said at least one camera and, at least during the acquisition of said at least one image or of said at least one subsequent image, a respective predetermined magnification ratio; reading said at least one coded information; determining the position of at least one portion of said at least one coded information along the predetermined advancing direction within the image; detecting, by said at least one camera or said at least one distinct camera, at least one reference physical dimension belonging to at least one surface portion of said at least one object or of said at least one coded information within said image or said at least one subsequent image; determining the distance of said at least one surface portion from said at least one camera and, if provided, from said at least one distinct camera on the basis of said at least one reference physical dimension and of the magnification ratio of the camera by which said at least one reference physical dimension has been detected; determining the position of said at least one portion of coded information along the predetermined advancing direction with respect to the predetermined reference system on the basis of said distance and of the position of said at least one portion of said at least one coded information along the predetermined advancing direction within the image; associating said at least one coded information with a respective object travelling through the detection area when said at least one coded information is detected, said association being made on the basis of said position of said at least one portion of said at least one object with respect to the predetermined reference system and of said position of said at least one portion of said at least one coded information with respect to the predetermined reference system, wherein the step of detecting at least one reference physical dimension comprises the steps of; determining the displacement of said at least one object along said advancing direction; and determining the maximum size of said at least one object along said advancing direction on the basis of said displacement, wherein said at least one camera and said at least one distinct camera each is a digital camera having a two-dimensional field of view. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for the optical identification of objects in motion, comprising the following steps:
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acquiring, by at least one camera having, at least during such an acquisition, a respective predetermined magnification ratio, at least one image of a predetermined detection area, said at least one image containing at least one portion of at least one object travelling through the detection area along a predetermined advancing direction; determining the position of said at least one portion of said at least one object along the predetermined advancing direction with respect to a predetermined reference system; detecting, in said at least one image or in at least one subsequent image containing said at least one portion of at least one object, at least one coded information travelling through the detection area along the predetermined advancing direction, said detection being carried out, respectively, by said at least one camera or by a distinct camera having a predetermined relative position with respect to said at least one camera and, at least during the acquisition of said at least one image or of said at least one subsequent image, a respective predetermined magnification ratio; reading said a least one coded information; determining the position of at least one portion of said at least one coded information along the predetermined advancing direction within the image; detecting, by said at least one camera or said at least one distinct camera, at least one reference physical dimension belonging to at least one surface portion of said at least one object or of said at least one coded information within said image or said at least one subsequent image; determining the distance of said at least surface portion from said at least one camera and, if provided, from said at least one distinct camera on the basis of said at least one reference physical dimension and of the magnification ratio of the camera by which said at least one reference physical dimension has been detected; determining the position of said at least one portion of coded information along the predetermined advancing direction with respect to the predetermined reference system on the basis of said distance and of the position of said at least one portion of said at least one information along the predetermined advancing direction within the image; associating said at least one coded information with a respective object travelling through the detection area when said at least one coded information is detected, said association being made on the basis of said position of said at least one portion of said at least one object with respect to the predetermined reference system and of said position of said at least one portion of said at least one coded information with respect to the predetermined reference system, wherein said at least one reference physical dimension is defined by a known dimension of a logo or different graphical element applied onto said at least one object, wherein said at least one camera and said at least one distinct camera each is a digital camera having a two-dimensional field view.
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17. A method for the optical identification of objects in motion, comprising the following steps:
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acquiring, by at least one a having, at least during such an acquisition, a respective predetermined magnification ratio, at least one image of a predetermined detection area, said at least one image containing at least one portion of at least one object travelling through the detection area along a predetermined advancing direction; determining the position of said at least one portion or said at least one object along the predetermined advancing direction with respect to a predetermined reference system; detecting, in said at least one image or in at least one subsequent image containing said at least one portion of at least one object, at least one coded information travelling through the detection area along the predetermined advancing direction, said detection being carried out, respectively, by said at least one camera or by a distinct camera having predetermined relative position with respect to said at least one camera and, at least during the acquisition of said at least one image or of said at least one subsequent image, a respective predetermined magnification ratio; reading said at least one coded information; determining the position of at least portion of said at least one coded information along the predetermined advancing direction within the image; detecting, by said at least one camera or said at least one distinct camera, at least one reference physical dimension belonging to at least one surface portion of said at least one object or of said at least one coded information; determining the distance of said at least one surface portion from said at least one camera and, if provided, from said at least one distinct camera on the basis of said at least one reference physical dimension and of the magnification ratio of the camera by which said at least one reference physical dimension has been detected; determining the position of said at least one portion of coded information along the predetermined advancing direction with respect to the predetermined reference system on the basis of said distance and of the position of said at least one portion of said at least one coded information along the predetermined advancing direction within the image; associating said at least one coded information with a respective object travelling through the detection area when said at least one coded information is detected, said association being made on the basis of said position of said at least one portion of said at least one object with respect to the predetermined reference system and of said position of said at least one portion of said at least one coded information with respect to the predetermined reference system, wherein said at least one camera and, if provided, said at least one distinct camera, is arranged so that its optical axis is orthogonal to said advancing direction, wherein said at least one image is acquired by said at least one camera when said at least one object is at said optical axis; wherein the method further comprises the steps of; determining the distance of a plurality of points of said at least one surface portion; and determining a possible rotation angle between the optical axis of said at least one camera and the surface portion on the basis of the distance of said plurality of points, wherein the distance of said plurality of points is determined on the basis of the analysis of a perspective deformation of said at least one coded information wherein said at least one camera and said at least one distinct camera each is a digital camera having a two-dimensional field of view.
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18. A method for the optical identification of objects in motion, comprising the following steps:
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acquiring, by at least one camera having, at least daring such an acquisition, a respective predetermined magnification ratio, at least one image of a predetermined detection area, said at least one image containing at least one portion of at least one object travelling through the detection area along a predetermined advancing direction; determining the position of said at least one portion of said at least one object along the predetermined advancing direction with respect to a predetermined reference system; detecting, in said at least one image or in at least one subsequent image containing said at least one portion of at least one object, at least one coded information travelling through the detection area along the predetermined advancing direction, said detection being carried out, respectively, by said at least one camera or by a distinct camera having a predetermined relative position with respect to said at least one camera and, at least during the acquisition of said at least one image or of said at least one subsequent image, a respective predetermined magnification ratio; reading said at least one coded information; determining the position of at least one portion of said at least one coded information along the predetermined advancing direction within the image; detecting, by said at least one camera or said at least one distinct camera, at least one reference physical dimension belonging to at least one surface portion of said at least one object or of said at least one coded information within said image or said at least one subsequent image; determining the distance of said at least one surface portion from said at least one camera and, if provided, from said at least one distinct camera on the basis of said at least one reference physical dimension and of the magnification ratio of the camera by which said at least one reference physical dimension has been detected; determining the position of said at least one portion of coded information along the predetermined advancing direction with respect to the predetermined reference system on the basis of said distance and of the position of said at least one portion of said at least one coded information along the predetermined advancing direction within the image; associating said at least one coded information with a respective object travelling through the detection area when said at least one coded information is detected, said association being made on the basis of said position of said at least one portion of said at least one object with respect to the predetermined reference system and of said position of said at least one portion of said at least one coded information with respect to the predetermined reference system, wherein said at least one coded information has a predetermined optical resolution and wherein the step of detecting at least one reference physical dimension comprises the step of determining the physical dimension of said at least one coded information along at least one characteristic direction, wherein said at least one coded information is a linear optical code and the step of determining the physical dimension of said at least one coded information comprises the step of measuring at least one element of said optical code along said at least one characteristic direction, and wherein said optical code belongs to a predetermined symbology and said at least one reference physical dimension is determined on the basis of said predetermined symbology, wherein said at least one camera and said at least one distinct camera each is a digital camera having a two-dimensional field of view. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification