Object dimensioning system and related methods
First Claim
1. An apparatus for determining dimensions of an object, comprising:
- a platform having a horizontal surface for supporting an object thereon; and
a dimensioning device comprising a gate configured as a frame having an upper arm above the platform opposite a lower arm below the platform and having opposing side supports extending vertically between the upper arm and lower arm, wherein the gate is mounted for rotational movement in a horizontally traversing arc to enable the upper and lower arms to respectively and simultaneously pass over and under the platform, and wherein the arms of the gate respectively carry a plurality of mutually aligned emitters and receivers and wherein the side supports of the gate respectively carry a plurality of mutually aligned emitters and receivers.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for dimensioning and, optionally, weighing an object. A platform with a surface is used for supporting an object. A user selects between two different dimensioning devices of the apparatus. The first device employs three distance sensors to determine a distance between each of the distance sensors and a side of an object. The second device includes a movable gate that is passed over and about an object or objects on the platform. Sensor arrays, such as paired, aligned light emitter and receiver arrays, are used in combination with a plurality of sensed gate positions to determine the dimensions of the objects(s) as the gate passes around the object(s) based on whether or not light from an emitter on one side of the gate reaches a light receiver on another, opposing side of the gate.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. An apparatus for determining dimensions of an object, comprising:
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a platform having a horizontal surface for supporting an object thereon; and a dimensioning device comprising a gate configured as a frame having an upper arm above the platform opposite a lower arm below the platform and having opposing side supports extending vertically between the upper arm and lower arm, wherein the gate is mounted for rotational movement in a horizontally traversing arc to enable the upper and lower arms to respectively and simultaneously pass over and under the platform, and wherein the arms of the gate respectively carry a plurality of mutually aligned emitters and receivers and wherein the side supports of the gate respectively carry a plurality of mutually aligned emitters and receivers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for determining dimensions of one or more objects using a dimensioning device comprising a structure bearing dimensioning sensors including horizontally and vertically mounted cooperative beam emitters and receivers and mounted for movement in an arc in a plane of a substantially transparent platform, the method comprising:
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placing one or more objects on a surface of the substantially transparent platform; measuring dimensions of the one or more objects using the dimensioning device by moving a frame structure in an arc of movement in the plane of the substantially transparent platform and about the one or more objects while emitting beams from beam emitters at a plurality of rotational positions of the structure within the arc of movement to cause the beams to be interrupted by the one or more objects and detecting the interruptions by the cooperative receivers at the plurality of rotational positions, uninterrupted beams from the horizontally mounted beam emitters passing through the substantially transparent platform to the cooperative, horizontally mounted receivers; retrieving data responsive to the detected interruptions from the receivers of the dimensioning sensors in association with the plurality of rotational positions; and determining dimensions of the one or more objects based on a correlation between the plurality of rotational positions of the structure and the associated data. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification