Material weight measurement system
AssigneeScale Tec, Ltd.
InventorNicholas Von Muenster
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A machine vision camera combined to one of the first storage carrier and the second storage carrier for detecting an offloading event. A sensor for measuring the weight of the material offloaded from the first storage carrier to the second storage carrier. A scale controller in communication with the machine vision camera and the sensor. The scale controller enters a tear mode in response to the beginning of offloading event and records and stores the weight of material offloaded from the first storage carrier to the second storage carrier as measured by the sensor.
Claims17
A system for measuring a weight of material offloaded from a first storage carrier to a second storage carrier, the system comprising:
- a machine vision camera combined to one of the first storage carrier and the second storage carrier for detecting an offloading event;
- a sensor for measuring the weight of material offloaded from the first storage carrier to the second storage carrier;
- a scale controller in communication with the machine vision camera and the sensor wherein the scale controller enters a tear mode in response to the offloading event and records and stores the weight of material offloaded from the first storage carrier to the second storage carrier as measured by the sensor;
- a processor in communication with the machine vision camera for processing images from the machine vision camera, wherein the processor receives a plurality of time-sequenced images from the machine vision camera and determines a beginning of the offloading event by comparing the plurality of time-sequenced images with images in a library of tagged events;
- wherein in response to the beginning of the offloading event, the processor communicates to the scale controller causing the scale controller to enter the tear mode and store the weight of material as measured by the sensor offloaded from the first storage carrier to the second storage carrier.
A method for measuring weight of material, the method comprising:
- monitoring the weight of material in a first storage carrier;
- detecting with a machine vision camera an offloading event of material expelling into a second storage carrier;
- entering a tare mode on a scale controller connected to a sensor on the first storage carrier when the offloading event is detected by the machine vision camera;
- weighing the material during the offloading event;
- detecting with the machine vision camera an end of the offloading event;
- and
- ending the tare mode on the scale controller upon detection of the end of the offloading event, wherein the detecting with a machine vision camera an offloading event, further comprises receiving a plurality of time-sequenced images from the machine vision camera;
- and determining a beginning of the offloading event by comparing the plurality of time-sequenced images with images in a library of tagged events.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.