Determining object attributes using photoelectric sensors

A method being for determining one or more attributes of a target object being transported by a conveyance mechanism, the conveyance mechanism having a traverse measurement and a longitudinal measurement and a direction of transport that corresponds to the longitudinal measurement, and the target object having a diameter in a plane substantially parallel to a conveying plane of the conveyance mechanism, the method comprising:

• emitting a first light ray from a first photoelectric sensor;
• emitting a second light ray from a second photoelectric sensor, the first and second photoelectric sensors being positioned at respective angles relative to the direction of transport such that each of the first and second light rays extends across a width of the conveyance mechanism and such that the first and second light rays cross one another at a first intersection point;
• utilizing the conveyance mechanism, transporting the target object in the direction of transport such that the target object is caused to interrupt the first and second light rays;
• and
• determining the one or more attributes based on the respective time of interruption of each of the first and second light rays and a location of interruption of each of the first and second light rays relative to the first intersection point.

A system for determining at least one of a position and height profile of a target object, the target object having a known diameter, the system comprising:

• a conveyor belt having a traverse measurement and a longitudinal measurement, the conveyor belt having a direction of transport for transporting the target object that corresponds to the longitudinal measurement;
• a photoelectric sensor that emits a light ray in a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction of transport;
• a parallax laser that emits a parallax laser beam in a plane substantially perpendicular to the conveyor belt;
• and
• a two-dimensional camera array having a field of view that captures at least one image of the target object and the parallax laser beam when the parallax laser beam is positioned at a center point of the target object.

A method for determining at least one of a position and a height profile of a target object, the target object having a known diameter, the method comprising:

• transporting the target object on a conveyor belt, the conveyor belt having a traverse measurement and a longitudinal measurement and having a direction of transport that corresponds to the longitudinal measurement;
• capturing interrupt data from a photoelectric sensor that emits a light ray in a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction of transport and in a plane substantially parallel to the conveying plane of the conveyor belt, the interrupt data being related to the target object interrupting the light ray while being transported;
• capturing, utilizing a camera array, at least one image of the target object and a parallax laser beam at a time instance when the parallax laser beam is positioned at a center point of the target object, the parallax laser beam being positioned in a plane substantially perpendicular to the conveyor belt;
• and
• utilizing the interrupt data from the photoelectric sensor and the at least one image to determine the at least one of the position and the height profile of the target object.