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US 11,691,825 B2Granted
Conveyor package-flow measuring system
AssigneeLaitram, L.L.C.
InventorsWilliam S. Murray, Jeremiah E. Oertling
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
System and methods for estimating the number of packages in a measurement zone to gauge package flow. A linear array of distance-measuring sensors measures the height profile of a mass of packages conveyed past. The profile is differentiated, and steps in the differentiated profile are counted to detect package edges and to produce an estimate of the number of packages in the measurement zone. The estimate can be used to adjust the speed of the conveyor to provide a constant package flow.
Claims17
A conveyor system comprising:
- a conveyor extending in width from a first side to an opposite second side and advancing packages in a conveying direction;
- a distance-measuring system measuring the profile of the packages at discrete spots extending across the width of the conveyor to produce a series of sequential profile measurements at each discrete spot;
- wherein the distance-measuring system includes distance-measuring sensors and a line defined by a linear arrangement of the distance-measuring sensors;
- wherein the series of sequential profile measurements at each discrete spot cover a predetermined number of the discrete spots corresponding to the length of a measurement zone extending downstream of the line in the conveying direction;
- a controller programmed to execute instructions to:
- (a) compute derivatives of the series of sequential profile measurements for each of the discrete spots;
- (b) detect edges of the packages from steps in the derivatives of the series of sequential profile measurements;
- (c) count the number of the steps in the derivatives of the series of sequential profile measurements;
- and
- (d) estimate the number of packages in the measurement zone from the count of the number of steps in the derivatives of the series of sequential profile measurements of all the discrete spots.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.