Package Imaging and 3D Point Clouds for Reliable Conveyance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional automated robotic conveyance systems are expensive, unreliable, and prone to errors, especially when handling multiple packages or requiring human intervention, leading to inefficiencies and breakdowns.
Innovation Solution
The integration of two-dimensional and three-dimensional imaging data sources to calculate package properties such as dimensions, type, and location of labels, providing real-time feedback for operators to prevent system failures and improve efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If laser line scanners are used to measure package dimensions, then measurement capability is provided, but system cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses 2D image copies from cameras to represent package dimensions instead of direct laser measurement. Multiple 2D images from different angles are processed to create a digital representation of the package, eliminating the need for expensive laser line scanners while maintaining measurement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical laser line scanning systems with optical camera-based imaging systems. The mechanical complexity of laser scanners is substituted with simpler camera hardware and computational image processing algorithms that achieve the same measurement function.
2Productivity
If traditional imaging systems are used to detect packages, then imaging capability is provided, but reliability decreases when packages are adjacent or stacked
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from 2D imaging to 3D point cloud representation to resolve package detection issues. By creating three-dimensional models from multiple 2D images, the system can distinguish between adjacent and stacked packages that appear merged in 2D views, significantly improving detection reliability while maintaining throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple 2D images from different cameras and angles into a unified 3D point cloud model. This merging of multiple data sources provides comprehensive package information that resolves ambiguities in package detection, enabling reliable identification even when packages are adjacent or stacked.
3Ease of operation
If human operators intervene after breakdowns occur, then system recovery is enabled, but preventive capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements real-time feedback loops where 3D point cloud data is continuously analyzed and fed back to the control system. This feedback enables the system to detect anomalies, predict potential failures, and alert operators before breakdowns occur, transforming reactive operation into proactive maintenance while maintaining ease of recovery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary analysis of package data and system performance metrics to identify potential issues before they cause breakdowns. By detecting anomalies early in the process flow, the system enables preventive maintenance actions before failures occur, improving reliability while preserving operational simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
A package scanning conveyance system that integrates a first two-dimensional image with at least a second two-dimensional image or a three-dimensional point clouds to calculate or estimate a package's physical properties, and/or determine if there are two or more packages in a pile. The captured imaging data is transformed by the inventive system to provide real-time feedback to a human operator to enable the operator to maintain an understanding of the system's performance. The imaging data may also be used to perform quality-checks on other parts of the package delivery and conveyance systems and document the condition of packages that have passed through the system.