Low maintenance flat mail line scan camera system

• US 20060120563A1
• Filed: 08/23/2005
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Systems Integration (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Kehley, Glenn L., Reyner, Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 7,672,479 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/101
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/145 Illumination specially adapted for pattern recognition, e.g. using gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/147 Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19

Abstract

A camera assembly is disclosed which may be implemented on a mail processing system for photographing flats mail items. In one embodiment, the assembly includes lighting components (e.g., light emitting diodes) which are capable of projecting light toward a mail item in a viewing station at a specific angle, which angle may be adjusted to reduce the amount of specular reflection from an item toward a camera. The lighting components may reside in a nose unit which may be easily attached to and detached from the housing for ease of maintenance. The nose unit may be attachable to the housing in a manner which seals the camera and lighting components off from the operating environment, such that airborne dust and debris does not enter the housing or nose unit and damage the camera or lighting components.

Claims

1. A camera assembly for use in a mail processing system, the camera assembly comprising a camera with a line of view via an aperture toward a viewing station in the mail processing system, the mail processing system being configured to transport a mail item through the viewing station in a direction which is substantially perpendicular to the line of view of the camera, the camera assembly comprising a plurality of lighting components configured to project light toward the viewing station, the plurality of lighting components being disposed to project light toward the viewing station such that the light does not travel via the aperture, at least a portion of the plurality of lighting components being configured to project light toward the viewing station at a substantially precise angle with respect to the line of view, the angle being at least twenty degrees from the line of view.

2. The camera assembly of claim 1, wherein the angle is at least thirty-three degrees from the line of view.

3. The camera assembly of claim 1, wherein the angle is at least forty-nine degrees from the line of view.

4. The camera assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lighting components comprise light-emitting diodes.

5. The camera assembly of claim 4, wherein the light-emitting diodes are white light-emitting diodes.

6. The camera assembly of claim 1, further comprising a housing and a nose unit which may be attached and detached from the housing, and wherein the plurality of lighting components reside in the nose unit.

7. The camera assembly of claim 6, wherein the nose unit comprises a substantially transparent face through which the plurality of lighting components project light toward the viewing station.

8. The camera assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lighting components are arranged in at least one column disposed substantially parallel to the aperture.

9. The camera assembly of claim 8, wherein each column of lighting components is separately configurable to project light toward the item at an angle with respect to the line of view.

10. The camera assembly of claim 1, wherein the aperture is suitably sized to provide the camera with a view of a height of a flats item.

11. A camera assembly for use in a mail processing system, the camera assembly comprising a camera with a line of view via an aperture toward a viewing station in the mail processing system, the camera being in communication with a signal processing circuit, the camera comprising a charged-coupled device for capturing image data, the charged-coupled device comprising an array of photosensitive elements, the array having a vertical axis and a horizontal axis, the vertical axis corresponding to a height of the mail item in the viewing station and the horizontal axis corresponding to a direction in which the item is conveyed through the viewing station, the camera being operable to provide image data captured by the array of photosensitive elements to the signal processing circuit, the signal processing circuit being operable to synchronize the image data captured by the photosensitive elements across the horizontal axis upon the mail item being conveyed through the viewing station, the camera assembly further comprising a plurality of lighting components for projecting light toward the viewing station, at least a portion of the plurality of lighting components being capable of projecting light toward the viewing station at a substantially precise angle with respect to the line of view, the plurality of lighting components being disposed on a plurality of support structures, the support structures being separately configurable to project light toward the item at an angle to the line of view.

12. The camera assembly of claim 11, wherein the plurality of lighting components comprise light-emitting diodes.

13. The camera assembly of claim 12, wherein the light-emitting diodes are white light-emitting diodes.

14. The camera assembly of claim 11, wherein the camera assembly further comprises a housing and a nose unit which may be attached and reattached from the housing, and wherein the plurality of lighting components reside in the nose unit.

15. The camera assembly of claim 11, wherein the aperture is suitably sized to provide the camera with a view of a height of a flats item.

16. A camera assembly for use in a mail processing system, the camera assembly comprising a camera with a line of view via an aperture toward a viewing station in the mail processing system, the camera assembly further comprising a housing in which the camera is disposed, a plurality of lighting components for illuminating the viewing station, and a nose unit configured for attachment to and detachment from the housing, the plurality of lighting components residing in the nose unit, the housing and nose unit being attached in a manner preventing airborne debris from entering the housing, at least a portion of the plurality of lighting components being capable of projecting light toward the viewing station at a substantially precise angle with respect to the line of view, the plurality of lighting components being disposed on a plurality of support structures, the support structures being separately configurable to project light toward the item at an angle to the line of view.

17. The camera assembly of claim 16, wherein the plurality of lighting components comprise light-emitting diodes.

18. The camera assembly of claim 17, wherein the light-emitting diodes are white light-emitting diodes.

19. The camera assembly of claim 16, wherein the support structures each comprise a support column on which lighting components are affixed, and wherein the support column is thermally conductive so that heat generated by lighting components is transmitted away from the lighting components.

20. The camera assembly of claim 16, further comprising a second nose unit which may be attached and detached from the housing, wherein the first and second nose units are configured such that the first nose unit may be detached from the housing and the second nose unit may be attached to the housing.

21. The camera assembly of claim 16, wherein the housing is substantially composed of aluminum.

22. The camera assembly of claim 16, wherein the housing and nose unit comprise a plurality of surfaces, and wherein at least a portion of the plurality of surfaces is anodized.