Systems, apparatus, and methods for dynamically transforming dimensional data representing a shipping item being loaded within a container using a scanning sensor node

A scanning sensor apparatus disposed within a container that dynamically transforms dimensional data representing a shipping item being loaded within the container, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing configured to mount to an interior roof surface within the container;
• a processing unit disposed within the housing;
• a memory disposed within the housing, the memory being operatively coupled to the processing unit and maintaining at least a scanning program code section for execution by the processing unit and an available material dimension data related to a shipping item;
• a depth sensor operatively coupled to the processing unit, wherein the depth sensor is disposed and oriented to scan the space within the container below the interior roof surface;
• a wireless communication interface disposed within the housing and operatively coupled to the processing unit;
• and
• wherein the processing unit, when executing the scanning program code section, is operative to
• access available material dimension data in the memory related to the shipping item, the available material dimension data having been supplied to the scanning sensor apparatus from an apparatus external to the scanning sensor apparatus through the wireless communication interface,
• cause, over a period of time, the depth sensor to scan the space within the container below the interior roof surface once the shipping item is loaded in the space within the container,
• receive, from the depth sensor, a plurality of scan data generated during the scan over the period of time,
• determine an average of the plurality of scan data over the period of time,
• compare the average of the plurality of scan data to the available material dimension data, and
• dynamically transform the available material dimension data into a current dimensional data representing the dimensions of the shipping item based upon a result of comparing the average of the plurality of scan data and the available material dimension data.

A method for dynamically transforming dimensional data representing a shipping item being loaded within a container using a scanning sensor node having at least a memory, a depth sensor, and a wireless communications interface to an external managing node, the method comprising:

• accessing available material dimension data in the memory within the scanning sensor node, the material dimension data being related to the shipping item and having been supplied to the scanning sensor node from an apparatus external to the scanning sensor node through the wireless communications interface;
• scanning, by the depth sensor on the scanning sensor node over a period of time, the space within the container to generate a plurality of scan data related to the shipping item once the shipping item is placed within the container, wherein the scanning sensor node is mounted within the container and above the space within the container, and wherein the at least one depth sensor is oriented to scan the space within the container from above the space and within the container;
• comparing, by the scanning sensor node, (a) an average of a plurality of scan data for the shipping item generated over a period of time and (b) the available material dimension data;
• and
• dynamically transforming the available material dimension data into a current dimensional data representing the dimensions of the shipping item based upon the comparison of the generated plurality of scan data to the available material dimension data, wherein the step of dynamically transforming the available material dimension data further comprises adjusting the current dimensional data representing the shipping item based upon results of comparing (a) and (b).