Conveyor belt assembly including an imaging system and systems and methods using the same

A system comprising:

• a conveyor belt comprising:
• a visible surface configured, during movement, to receive thereon each of said plurality of packages;
• a plurality of first stripes having a first visible appearance, each of said plurality of first stripes at least in part defining said visible surface;
• a plurality of second stripes having a second visible appearance, each of said plurality of second stripes at least in part defining said visible surface, wherein the second visible appearance provides a contrasting appearance relative to the first visible appearance;
• an imaging system comprising a plurality of cameras positioned in a plurality of locations relative to said visible surface of said conveyor belt;
• one or more computer processors configured for:
• during operation of said improved conveyor belt, capturing, via said imaging system a visual sequence containing each of said plurality of packages received on said visible surface during movement thereof;
• extracting at least one screen shot containing at least one image of at least one of said plurality of packages;
• and
• calculating, based upon at least one characteristic of said plurality of first and second stripes appearing in said at least one extracted screen shot, one or more dimensions of said at least one of said plurality of packages;
• and
• one or more memory storage areas configured to associate and store said extracted screen shot and said calculated dimensions with said at least one of said plurality of packages.

A computer-implemented method for facilitating improved automated handling of a plurality of packages, said method comprising the steps of:

• operating an improved conveyor belt, said improved conveyor belt comprising:
• a visible surface being movably configured to receive thereon each of said plurality of packages;
• a plurality of first stripes having a first known dimensional characteristic and a first visible appearance, each of said plurality of first stripes at least in part defining said visible surface;
• and
• a plurality of second stripes having a second known dimensional characteristic and a second visible appearance, each of said plurality of second stripes at least in part defining said visible surface, wherein the second visible appearance provides a contrasting appearance relative to the first visible appearance;
• during said operation of said improved conveyor belt, capturing, via an imaging system a visual sequence containing each of said plurality of packages received on said visible surface during movement thereof;
• extracting, via at least one computer processor and from said visual sequence, at least one screen shot containing at least one image of at least one of said plurality of packages;
• calculating, via said at least one computer processor and based at least upon said first and second known dimensional characteristics of said plurality of first and second stripes appearing in said at least one extracted screen shot, one or more dimensions of said at least one of said plurality of packages;
• and
• associating and storing, in at least one memory storage area, said extracted screen shot and said calculated dimensions with said at least one of said plurality of packages.

An improved conveyor belt for facilitating improved automated handling of a plurality of packages, said improved conveyor belt comprising:

• a visible surface;
• a plurality of first stripes having a first visible appearance, each of said plurality of first stripes at least in part defining said visible surface;
• and
• a plurality of second stripes having a second visible appearance, each of said plurality of second stripes at least in part defining said visible surface,
• wherein:
• said first visible appearance of said plurality of first stripes is a solid pattern defined by a first color;
• and
• said second visible appearance of said plurality of second stripes is a striped pattern defined by a second and a third color, said second color being a contrasting color relative to said first color.

An improved conveyor belt for facilitating improved automated handling of a plurality of packages, said improved conveyor belt comprising:

• a visible surface;
• a plurality of first stripes having a first visible appearance, each of said plurality of first stripes at least in part defining said visible surface relative to said primary axis;
• and
• a plurality of second stripes having a second visible appearance, each of said plurality of second stripes at least in part defining said visible surface relative to said primary axis,
• wherein:
• the second visible appearance provides a contrasting appearance relative to the first visible appearance;
• each of said plurality of first stripes has a first dimensional characteristic relative to the visible surface;
• each of said plurality of second stripes has a second dimensional characteristic relative to the visible surface, said second dimensional characteristic being substantially the same as said first dimensional characteristic;
• and
• said first and second dimensional characteristics are in a range between five centimeters and fifteen centimeters.

An improved conveyor belt assembly for facilitating improved automated handling of a plurality of packages, said improved conveyor belt assembly comprising:

• a conveyor belt comprising:
• a visible surface configured, during movement, to receive thereon each of said plurality of packages;
• a plurality of first stripes having a first visible appearance, each of said plurality of first stripes at least in part defining said visible surface relative to said primary axis;
• and
• a plurality of second stripes having a second visible appearance, each of said plurality of second stripes at least in part defining said visible surface relative to said primary axis,
• wherein:
• the second visible appearance provides a contrasting appearance relative to the first visible appearance;
• each of said plurality of first stripes has a first dimensional characteristic relative to the visible surface;
• each of said plurality of second stripes has a second dimensional characteristic relative to the visible surface, said second dimensional characteristic being substantially the same as said first dimensional characteristic;
• and
• said first and second dimensional characteristics are in a range between five centimeters and fifteen centimeters;
• and
• an imaging system comprising a plurality of cameras positioned in a plurality of locations relative to said visible surface of said conveyor belt, said imaging system being configured to provide continuous visibility of each of said plurality of packages received on said visible surface during movement thereof.