Device and method for detecting the handling of at least one object

• US 9,910,491 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2014
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Blinksight
• Original Assignee: Blinksight
• Inventors: Mutz, Stphane, Mutz, Matthieu
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Point, Rufus
• Application Number:
  US14/893,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20160132110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 7/005 Computer assisted manual sorting, e.g. for mail
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 7/04 Apparatus or accessories for hand picking
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/74 Systems using reradiation of radio waves, e.g. secondary radar systems; Analogous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02 using radio waves using satellite radio beacon systems for determining position G01S19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0331 Finger worn pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/014 Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/47 using RFID associated with sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

The invention concerns a device for detecting the handling of at least one object, the device including a deformable enclosure, to which are attached at least one sensor for the detection of a grasping of objects and at least one wireless radio transmitter, the sensor being able to provide either one from among a first signal for detection of the grasping of an object and a second signal for detection of the absence of grasping of an object. The invention is characterized in that the transmitter includes first means for wireless radio transmission of a third signal, allowing determination of a localization of the enclosure towards a receiver remote from the deformable enclosure, as well as second means for wireless radio transmission of the first or second signal towards said receiver.

Claims

1. A device for detecting the handling of at least one object, the device including a deformable enclosure, which is intended to be slipped around the hand, a portion of the hand or a portion of the arm of a user, and to which are attached at least one sensor for the detection of a grasping of objects and at least one wireless radio transmitter intended for transmitting towards at least one receiver remote from the deformable enclosure,

the sensor being able to provide either one from among a first signal for detection of the grasping of an object and a second signal for detection of the absence of grasping of an object,

wherein the transmitter includes first means for wireless radio transmission of a third signal towards said at least one receiver remote from the deformable enclosure, as well as second means for wireless radio transmission of the first or second signal towards said at least one receiver, wherein the receiver includes at least one base station, which is connected to a localization system remote from the deformable enclosure and calculating from the third signal received by the base station a localization of the deformable enclosure along at least one coordinate.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter and/or the first means for wireless radio transmission and/or the second means for wireless radio transmission are of the UWB type.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is able to provide, when the deformable enclosure is in a state for grasping an object, the first signal for detection of the grasping of an object, and is able to provide, when the deformable enclosure is not found in the state for grasping an object, the second signal for detection of the absence of grasping of an object.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the deformable enclosure comprises a glove for grasping the object.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the localization system is connected to a data processing system for sending to the latter the localization of the deformable enclosure as well as the first or second signal.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the receiver includes a plurality of base stations remote from the deformable enclosure and remote from each other.

7. The device according to claim 5, wherein the data processing system includes:

a memory in which is recorded at least one other storage localization, which is the localization of an area for storage of said object or of a compartment for storage of said object,

and a means for automatically comparing the localization of deformable enclosure with the other storage localization, in order to generate, in the case of having received the first signal for detection of the grasping of an object and when the means for automatically comparing has determined that the localization of the deformable enclosure was close to the other storage localization by less than a predetermined distance, an information indicating that the object was taken from the area for storage of said object or from the compartment for storage of said object.

8. The device according to claim 5, wherein the data processing system includes:

a memory in which is recorded at least one other storage localization, which is the localization of an area for storage of said object or of a compartment for storage of said object,

and a means for automatically comparing the localization of the deformable enclosure with the other storage localization, in order to generate an information indicating that the object has been put into the area for storage of said object or into the compartment for storage of said object, when both the second signal for detection of the absence of grasping of an object has been received by the data processing system (40) and the means for automatically comparing has determined that the localization of deformable enclosure was close to the other storage localization by less than a predetermined distance.

9. The device according to claim 5, wherein the data processing system includes:

a memory in which are recorded at least one other storage localization, which is the localization of an area for storage of said object or of a compartment for storage of said object, in association with an object identifier or an object type identifier,

and a means for automatically comparing the localization of the deformable enclosure with the other storage localization, in order to generate an information indicating that the object having said object identifier or object type identifier has been picked from the area for storage of said object or from the compartment for storage of said object, when both the first signal for detection of the grasping of an object has been received by the data processing system and the means for automatically comparing has determined that the localization of the deformable enclosure was close to the other storage localization by less than a predetermined distance.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein at least one receptacle for collecting objects is provided with another means for wireless radio transmission of a fourth signal allowing determination of the localization of the receptacle towards the receiver.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the data processing system includes:

a memory in which are recorded at least one other storage localization, which is the localization of an area for storage of said object or of a compartment for storage of said object,

and a means for automatically comparing the localization of the deformable enclosure with the other storage localization and with the localization of the receptacle, in order to generate an information indicating an object handling anomaly, when both the data processing system has received a transition of the first signal for detection of the grasping of an object to the second signal for detection of the absence of grasping of objects and the means for automatically comparing has determined that the localization of the deformable enclosure was distant by more than a prescribed distance from the localization of the receptacle and from the other storage localization.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first means for wireless radio transmission are able to transmit in association with the third signal an identifier associated with the user or with the deformable enclosure, and/or the second means for wireless radio transmission are able to transmit in association with the first or second signal an identifier associated with the user or with the deformable enclosure.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is fixed.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the receiver is movable.

15. A method for detecting the handling of at least one object by means of the device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor sends either one from among a first signal for detection of the grasping of an object and a second signal for detection of the absence of grasping of an object towards at least one receiver remote from the deformable enclosure,

wherein the transmitter transmits through a wireless radio link a third signal as well as the first or second signal towards said at least one receiver remote from the deformable enclosure,

wherein a localization system connected to at least one base station of the receiver calculates from the third signal received by the base station a localization of the deformable enclosure along at least one coordinate.

16. The device according to claim 9, wherein at least one receptacle for collecting objects is provided with another means for wireless radio transmission of a fourth signal allowing determination of the localization of the receptacle towards the receiver.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein the data processing system includes:

a means for automatically comparing the localization of the deformable enclosure with a localization of the receptacle, in order to generate an information indicating that the object having said object identifier or object type identifier has been put into the receptacle, when both the data processing system has received a transition of the first signal for detection of the grasping of an object to the second signal for detection of the absence of the grasping of objects, the means for automatically comparing has determined that the localization of the deformable enclosure was close to the localization of the receptacle by less than a predetermined distance, the means for automatically comparing has generated an information indicating that the object having said object identifier or object type identifier has been picked from the area for storage of said object or from the compartment for storage of said object.