CALCULATING WEIGHT USING IMAGE DATA

• US 20170200275A1
• Filed: 01/12/2016
• Published: 07/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: McCloskey, Scott, Lloyd, Ryan Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 10,026,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 17/00 Apparatus for or methods of weighing material of special form or property determining weight by measuring volume G01F
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/005 with electric or electronic computing means
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/35 Indicating the weight by photographic recording
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30112 Baggage; Luggage; Suitcase
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/001 using an image reference approach
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/337 involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/62 of area, perimeter, diameter or volume
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/97 Determining parameters from multiple pictures depth or shape recovery from multiple images G06T7/55; stereo camera calibration G06T7/85

Abstract

Systems and methods for calculating the weight of an object are provided. In one implementation, an apparatus for calculating weight comprises an image capture device and a processing device. The image capture device is configured to capture a plurality of images of a platform configured to support an object to be weighed, wherein the platform includes known pliability characteristics. The processing device is configured to calculate the weight of the object based on the plurality of images.

Claims

1. An apparatus for calculating weight, the apparatus comprising:

an image capture device configured to capture a plurality of images of a platform configured to support an object to be weighed, the platform having known pliability characteristics; and

a processing device configured to calculate the weight of the object based on the plurality of images.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing device is configured to calculate the weight of the object by measuring the extent of deformation of at least one point on a surface of the platform in response to the object being placed on the platform.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processing device is configured to compare the measured extent of deformation with reference deformation data.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image capture device is a video camera, and wherein the processing device is configured to calculate the weight of the object by measuring vibration of at least one point on a surface of the platform in response to the object being placed on the platform.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image capture device is configured to capture images of the top surface of the platform.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a support structure configured to support the image capture device at a fixed position and orientation with respect to the platform.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a base configured to support the platform.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the base comprises at least two walls configured to support at least two ends of the platform such that a middle section of the platform is suspended over an area between the at least two walls, and wherein the image capture device is configured to capture images of a bottom surface of the platform.

9. A method for calculating the weight of an object, the method comprising the steps of:

capturing a first image of a platform having a pliable material and a top surface on which an object to be weighed can be placed;

capturing a second image of the platform after the object is placed on the top surface of the platform; and

calculating the weight of the object based on the first and second images.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of calculating the weight of the object includes measuring an extent of deformation of at least one point of the pliable material when the object is placed on the top surface of the platform.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of measuring the extent of deformation includes measuring the extent of deformation of a plurality of points of pliable material.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of calculating the weight of the object further include comparing the extent of deformation with reference deformation data.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising preliminary steps of placing reference objects having known weights on the platform one at a time and measuring the extent of deformation of the pliable material corresponding to the weight of each reference object to obtain the reference deformation data.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising a preliminary step of storing the reference deformation data in a table or creating a function mapping deformation to weight.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the steps of capturing the first and second images include capturing the images of the top surface of the platform from a fixed location and orientation with respect to the platform.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the steps of capturing the first and second images include capturing the images of a bottom surface of the platform from a fixed location and orientation with respect to the platform, the bottom surface being suspended over an area between the ends of the platform.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of utilizing at least one of the first and second images to determine the dimensions of the object.

18. A method for calculating the weight of an object, the method comprising the steps of:

capturing multiple images of a pliable material of a platform when an object to be weighed is placed on a top surface of the platform;

measuring vibration parameters from the multiple images; and

calculating the weight of the object based on the measured vibration parameters.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of measuring vibration parameters includes measuring the vibration of multiple points of the pliable material.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of calculating the weight of the object further include comparing the measured vibration parameters with reference vibration data obtained by correlating vibration data with known weights.