Digital Locker Sensor Fusion for Accurate Item Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Digital lockers face inaccuracies in determining the presence and characteristics of items due to obscured light sensors, leading to incorrect readings and inefficient package management.
Innovation Solution
A digital locker system equipped with various sensors (weight, optical, infra-red, magnetic) that collect and transmit data to a locker controller, which then communicates with a locker manager to verify the dimensions and presence of items, ensuring accurate package identification and management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If light sensors are used to detect items in lockers, then item presence detection is enabled, but measurement accuracy deteriorates when sensors are obscured by dust or dirt
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple types of sensors (light sensors, weight sensors, and other sensors) to detect item presence and characteristics in lockers. By merging different sensing modalities, the system compensates for the weaknesses of individual sensors - particularly when light sensors are obscured, other sensors can still accurately detect items, thereby maintaining both reliability and measurement precision simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from multiple sensor readings to continuously verify and cross-validate item detection. When one sensor type provides inaccurate readings (such as obscured light sensors), the feedback mechanism allows the system to rely on other sensor data to correct or supplement the detection, ensuring accurate item presence determination despite individual sensor failures
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensor types are deployed to improve detection accuracy, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a multi-functional sensor system where a single integrated sensor array performs multiple detection functions simultaneously - detecting item presence, item characteristics, weight, and other properties. This universal approach allows the system to achieve high measurement precision across different detection tasks without proportionally increasing complexity, as the same sensor infrastructure serves multiple purposes
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the sensor network to automatically detect and report item characteristics without requiring manual intervention or complex external verification systems. The sensors self-configure and self-validate their readings, reducing the operational complexity despite the presence of multiple sensor types
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides reliable and efficient package delivery and retrieval by accurately determining the presence and characteristics of items, improving locker usage efficiency and reducing errors.
Implementation Method 1
The sensors may include weight sensors, light sensors, infra-red sensors, optical sensors, magnetic sensors
Implementation Method 2
Some digital lockers are equipped with light sensors that are used to determine whether any objects are present inside the lockers
Implementation Method 3
The sensors may include weight sensors, light sensors, infra-red sensors, optical sensors, magnetic sensors
Implementation Method 4
The sensors may include weight sensors, light sensors, infra-red sensors, optical sensors, magnetic sensors
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are provided for generating sensor data from a locker compartment and transmitting the sensor data to a locker controller. The sensor data indicates one or more characteristics of an item present in the locker compartment. Upon receiving the sensor data, the locker controller transmits the sensor data to a locker manager, which, based on, at least in part, the sensor data indicating the one or more characteristics of the item, determines one or more dimensions of the item present in the locker compartment. The locker controller also requests one or more reference dimensions of the item, determines whether the one or more dimensions of the item match the one or more reference dimensions of the item, and if so generates and transmits a first report message indicating that the one or more dimensions of the item match the one or more reference dimensions of the item.