Apparatus and method for checking an envelope for contents
AssigneeStielow GmbH
InventorsTimothy Andrew Large, David Russell Anderson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for checking an envelope for contents is provided to determine whether or not an envelope has been completely emptied. The thickness of the envelope is measured at a plurality of points along the envelope. From the measured thickness, the thickness, or an integer multiple of the thickness, of the material of the envelope is determined. The thickness of the envelope measured at the plurality of points is compared with the determined material thickness, or integer multiple of the thickness, of the envelope. On the basis of that comparison, a determination is made as to whether or not the envelope has contents therein. The apparatus and method do not rely on measuring the opacity of the envelope.
Claims29
A method of checking an envelope for contents, comprising the steps of:
- measuring the thickness of the envelope at a plurality of points along the envelope;
- determining a material thickness, or a multiple of the material thickness, for the material of the envelope from the measured thickness;
- and
- comparing the thickness of the envelope measured at the plurality of points with the determined material thickness, or the multiple of the material thickness of that envelope, and determining on the basis of such comparison whether or not the envelope has contents therein.
Apparatus for checking an envelope for contents, comprising:
- means for measuring the thickness of an envelope at a plurality of points along the envelope;
- means for determining a material thickness, or a multiple of the material thickness, for the material of the envelope from the measured thickness;
- and
- means for comparing the measured thickness of the envelope with the determined material thickness, or the multiple of the material thickness of that envelope, and determining on the basis of such comparison whether or not the envelope has contents therein.
Apparatus for determining whether an envelope has contents, comprising:
- a measuring device to measure a thickness of an envelope at a plurality of locations on the envelope;
- and
- a processor to determine a material thickness for the envelope by itself from the measured thickness, to compare the measured thickness of the envelope with the determined material thickness or a multiple of the material thickness of that envelope, and to determine on the basis of the comparison whether the envelope has contents.
A method of determining whether an envelope has contents, comprising:
- measuring a thickness of an envelope at a plurality of locations on the envelope;
- determining a material thickness for the envelope by itself based on the measured thickness;
- comparing the thickness of the envelope measured at the plurality of locations with the determined material thickness or a multiple of the determined material thickness of that envelope;
- and
- determining whether the envelope has contents based on the comparison.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.