Multiple envelope detector
AssigneePressco Technology Inc.
InventorsDon W. Cochran, James E. Triner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A parcel detection system works in connection with a stream of parcels, such as might be encountered in connection with bulk mail sorting apparatii. A presence of multiple parcels traveling adjacent one to another is detected with a line scan charge coupled device. A transducer array is disposed perpendicularly to the stream flow. Specular illumination of edges of the parcels is completed to facilitate capturing an image in the CCD array. An analog signal, obtained from the array, includes information representative of a number of adjacent parcels. This information is processed to provide a signal representative of a number of parcels traveling adjacent to one another in the stream.
Claims27
A detector for detection of relative orientation of selected items in a stream thereof comprising:
- illumination means adapted for illuminating each similarly oriented peripheral portion of each item of an item subset, which item subset is part of a series of item subsets forming an item stream;
- image acquisition means for acquiring an image of each illuminated item subset of the item stream;
- signal generating means for generating a series of analog signals corresponding to each image, each analog signal including data representative of a number of illuminated peripheral portions of an associated subset;
- counter means for extracting a numeric value, representative of the number of illuminated peripheral portions, from the data of each associated subset;
- and
- means adapted for communicating each numeric value to an associated data processing device.
A method of detection of parcel orientation of a parcel stream travelling along a generally linear path comprising the steps of:
- illuminating each similarly oriented peripheral portion of each parcel of a parcel subset, which parcel subset is part of a series of the parcel stream;
- acquiring an image of each illuminated parcel subset of the parcel stream, which image is acquired from a generally linear CCD array disposed generally perpendicular to the linear path;
- generating a series of analog signals corresponding to each image, each analog signal including pulse data representative of a number of illuminated peripheral portions of an associated subset;
- extracting a numeric value, representative of the number of illuminated peripheral portions, from the pulse data of each associated subset;
- and
- communicating each numeric value to an associated data processing device.
A detector for detection of relative orientation among selected items in a stream thereof comprising:
- illumination means adapted for illuminating each similarly oriented peripheral portion of each item of an item subset, which item subset is part of a series of item subsets forming an item stream;
- camera means including,
- a lens for acquiring light from the illumination means after specular reflection from the item subset,
- a charge coupled device array for acquiring, from acquired light focussed thereon by the lens, a generally linear image of each illuminated item subset of the item stream, and
- means for generating an analog signal representative of the generally linear image;
- converter means for converting the analog signal into a pulse train;
- and
- decoder means for decoding the pulse train into item data representative of a number of illuminated peripheral portions of an associated subset.
A method for detection of relative orientation of between selected items in a stream thereof comprising the steps of:
- illuminating each similarly oriented peripheral portion of each item of an item subset, which item subset is part of a series of item subsets forming an item stream;
- acquiring, via a lens, light from the illumination means after specular reflection from the item subset,
- obtaining, from acquired light focussed thereon by the lens, a generally linear image of each illuminated item subset of the item stream, which linear image is generally perpendicular to a direction of the stream;
- generating an analog signal representative of the generally linear image;
- converting the analog signal into a pulse train;
- and
- decoding the pulse train into item data representative of a number of illuminated peripheral portions of an associated subset.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.