Patent ID: 6971580
Filing Date: 2005-12-06
Classification: B82Y,G01S,G02B,G06K,G07F,G07G,H01L

Abstract:
1. An automated object dimensioning system for measuring the dimensions of a scanned object transported along a conveyor belt structure, comprising: a system housing having a light transmission aperture, supportable above a conveyor belt structure; an optical bench, disposed within said system housing; a laser beam production module disposed within said system housing, for generating an amplitude modulated laser beam; a scanning mechanism, mounted on said optical bench, for projecting and said amplitude modulated laser beam through said light transmission aperture, and repeatedly scanning said amplitude modulated laser beam across the width of said conveyor belt structure; a light collecting mechanism, mounted within said system housing, for collecting laser light reflected off said scanned object and focusing said reflected laser light; a photodetector, mounted on said optical bench, for detecting said focused laser light and producing an electrical signal corresponding thereto; signal processing circuitry, disposed within said system housing, for processing said produced electrical signal and, during each scan of said amplitude modulated laser beam across said scanned object, generating a row of raw digital range data representative of the distance from said scanning element to sampled points along said scanned object, measured with respect to a polar-type coordinate system symbolically-embedded within said automatic object dimensioning system; a preprocessing data buffer, disposed within said system housing, for storing rows of raw range data produced by said signal processing circuitry; and a programmed digital image processor, disposed within said system housing, for receiving rows of raw range data from said preprocessing data buffer, and processing data, including raw range data buffered in said preprocessing data buffer, wherein said programmed digital image processor includes