System and methods for automatic detection of adjustable item dimension based on sensor distance and stored fixed dimensions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12475587-B2
Application number	US-202418743022-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2024
Priority date	Feb 28, 2020
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system and method for automatically determining a three dimensional size of an item. The system may include an optical sensor scanning a surface of the item being transported on a conveyor spaced apart from the optical sensor by a conveyor distance, the surface including a standard size element having a first dimension. The system may also include a memory storing the first dimension and the conveyor distance. The system may also include a processor configured to calculate a second dimension of the surface based on a scanned image of the surface and a scanned image of the standard size element and the stored first dimension. The processor may obtain an item distance between the optical sensor and the surface and determine a height of the item based on the obtained item distance and the stored conveyor distance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for processing items, the system comprising:
a sensor configured to:
scan an item located proximate a surface, the surface spaced apart from the sensor by a first distance;
one or more processors in communication with the sensor to the one or more processors configured to:
receive, from the sensor, a scan of the surface of the item;
determine a second distance, the second distance corresponding to a distance between the sensor to the item;
determine, based on the received scan of the item, an item type of the item, the item type comprising a first fixed dimension and a second fixed dimension; and
in response to determining the item type, determine:
a first dimension of the item based at least in part on the first fixed dimension of the item type;
a second dimension of the item based at least in part on the second fixed dimension of the item type; and
a third dimension of the item based at least in part on the first distance and the second distance.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the item type comprises a third adjustable dimension, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the third adjustable dimension based at least in part on the first distance and the second distance.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the item is a flexible envelope or box.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine a difference between the first distance and the second distance.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a determination of the item type uses a machine learning algorithm or a deep learning algorithm for image recognition and processing.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to identify, in the received scan of the item, a label on the item.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to identify the first dimension and the second dimension of the item based on the identified label.

8 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the surface is a conveyor in item processing equipment, and wherein the item processing equipment is configured to sort the item based on the third dimension, the first dimension, and the second dimension.

9 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a memory storing one or more item types and one or more fixed dimensions associated with the one or more item types.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine, based on the received scan of the item, a type of the one or more item types of the scanned item.

11 . A method for processing items, the method comprising:
scanning, using a sensor, an item located proximate a surface, the surface spaced apart from the sensor by a first distance; receiving, from the sensor, in one or more processors, a scan of the surface of the item; determining, by the one or more processors, based on the received scan, a second distance, the second distance corresponding to a distance between the sensor and the item; determining, by the one or more processors, based on the received scan of the item, an item type of the item, the item type comprising a first fixed dimension and a second fixed dimension; and in response to determining the item type, determining, by the one or more processors:
a first dimension of the item based at least in part on the first fixed dimension of the item type;
a second dimension of the item based at least in part on the second fixed dimension of the item type; and
a third dimension of the item based at least in part on the first distance and the second distance.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the item type comprises a third adjustable dimension, wherein the method further comprises determining the third adjustable dimension based at least in part on the first distance and the second distance.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the item is a flexible envelope or box.

14 . The method of claim 11 , the method further comprising determining, by the one or more processors, a difference between the first distance and the second distance.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein a determination of the item type uses a machine learning algorithm or a deep learning algorithm for image recognition and processing.

16 . The method of claim 11 , the method further comprising identifying, by the one or more processors, in the received scan of the item, a label on the item.

17 . The method of claim 16 , the method further comprising identifying, by one or more processors, the first dimension and the second dimension of the item based on the identified label.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the surface is a conveyor in item processing equipment, and wherein the item processing equipment is configured to sort the item based on the third dimension, the first dimension, and the second dimension.

19 . The method of claim 11 , the method further comprising storing, by the one or more processors, in a memory, one or more item types and one or more known dimensions associated with the one or more item types.

20 . The method of claim 19 , the method further comprising determining, by the one or more processors, based on the received scan of the item, a type of the one or more item types of the scanned item.

Assignees

• United States Postal Service

Inventors

• Simpson Ryan J

Classifications

• G01B11/026

  by measuring distance between sensor and object (G01B11/0608 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01B11/043

  for measuring length · CPC title

• G01B11/046

  for measuring width · CPC title

• G06T7/70

  Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80) · CPC title

• G01B11/04

  specially adapted for measuring length or width of objects while moving · CPC title