IMPROVED METHOD FOR MEASURING PHYSICAL QUANTITIES OF A CONTAINER USING A TIME-OF-FLIGHT SENSOR

By processing ToF sensor histograms to select the first relevant bin and apply interpolation and filtering, the method addresses the challenge of accurately measuring container dimensions and fill level in reflective containers, enhancing beverage dispenser automation.

FR3162084B1Active Publication Date: 2026-06-05STMICROELECTRONICS INT NV
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
FR · FR
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
STMICROELECTRONICS INT NV
Filing Date
2024-05-07
Publication Date
2026-06-05

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Time-of-flight (ToF) sensors struggle to accurately determine physical quantities, such as container height and fill level, in reflective containers due to weak signals from the container rim and multiple reflections, leading to overestimation of distances and underestimation of height.

Method used

A method and system using a time-of-flight sensor that processes histograms to enhance the signal by selecting the first relevant bin corresponding to the rising edge of the pulse, discarding multi-reflected photons, and applying interpolation and binary matrix filtering to improve measurement accuracy.

Benefits of technology

Enhances the determination of physical quantities like container height and fill level, enabling precise control of beverage dispensing and improving automation in beverage dispensers.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

According to one aspect, a method is proposed for measuring a physical quantity (HEIGHT, LEVEL, DIAMETER, X0, Y0) of a container (12) placed in a detection zone (DET), using a time-of-flight sensor (100). The method comprises, by means of a processor (107B), the following steps: receiving (300) a histogram (H, HD) or even a matrix of histograms (MATRIX, DIFFMATRIX) generated from a light pulse emitted by a time-of-flight sensor and reflected by the container, each histogram (H, HD) being formed of bins (Bj) corresponding to distinct times of flight; extracting (310), from each histogram, a first histogram bin (FSB) characterizing first a rising edge of the pulse, so as to obtain a matrix of first histogram bins (MFSB); and determine (320) the height, diameter, position of the container and / or the container fill height from the matrix of first bins of histograms. Figure for the abbreviation: Fig 3
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