Apparatus and method for producing a numeric display corresponding to the volume of a selected segment of an item

A method of displaying a numeric value corresponding to the volume of any selected segment of an item comprising:

• disposing said item on a support surface;
• supporting a sensor bar at a preset height above said support surface sufficient to clear said item;
• moving said sensor bar over said support surface to cause said sensor bar to pass along said item from a reference position over any section of said item to reach a position over a selected other section of said item, the portion of said item between said reference position section and said selected other section defining a selected segment thereof;
• generating sensor signals corresponding to the cross-sectional contour of successive sections of said item passing beneath said sensor bar as said sensor bar is moved to said selected section;
• detecting motion of said sensor bar as said sensor bar is passed over and along said item by detecting accelerations thereof and generating corresponding detector signals;
• processing said generated sensor and detector signals to calculate therefrom the volume of said selected segment of said item;
• deriving a numeric value corresponding to the calculated volume of said selected segment;
• and displaying a numeric value thereby derived after said sensor bar reaches a position over any selected other section of said item.

A method of generating a numeric display corresponding to the volume of any selected segment of an item comprising:

• disposing said item on a support surface;
• relatively moving a sensor bar with respect to said support surface to cause said sensor bar to move along said item in either direction along said item;
• generating sensor signals corresponding to the cross-sectional contour of successive sections of said item passing said sensor bar as said sensor bar is moved relative thereto;
• detecting the accelerations of said sensor bar along said item as said sensor bar is passed over and along said item from an initial reference position over one section of said item and generating corresponding motion detection signals;
• processing said generated sensor and motion detection signals to derive therefrom the volume of a selected segment of said item defined as the portion thereof extending from said one section corresponding to said reference position of said sensor bar to a selected other section corresponding to any selected other position of said sensor bar along said item;
• and
• displaying a numeric value corresponding to said volume of said selected segment derived from said sensor and motion detection signals.

A method of displaying the weight or price of any selected segment of an item to a purchaser observing said item comprising:

• passing a sensor arrangement along said item from a reference position adjacent to a first section of said item while generating sensor signals corresponding to the cross-sectional contour of each successive section of said item passed by said sensor arrangement in reaching a position adjacent to a selected other section of said item;
• detecting the accelerations of said sensor arrangement in moving along said item from said reference position to a selected other section and generating corresponding motion detection signals;
• calculating the total volume of said selected segment of said item defined by the portion thereof extending from said first section to said selected other section from said sensor signals and said motion detection signals and displaying a corresponding numeric value corresponding to said calculated volume when said sensor arrangement is positioned adjacent to said selected other section of said item so as to allow viewing of the same by said purchaser;
• and
• displaying a numeric value corresponding to said volume of any selected segment of the item as computed by said signal processor with said sensor arrangement positioned adjacent said selected section of said item.

An apparatus for displaying a numeric value corresponding to the volume of any selected segment of an item comprising:

• a support surface for supporting said item:
• a sensor arrangement;
• a support for said sensor arrangement freely allowing relative movement on said support surface back and forth in either direction along an item across so that said sensor arrangement can be manually selectively positioned aligned with any selected section of said item;
• a motion detector arrangement which generates signals corresponding to the accelerations of said sensor arrangement support in being moved from a position at which said sensor arrangement support is aligned with a selected starting section of said item to a position aligned to any selected other section of said item;
• said sensor arrangement generating signals corresponding to the cross sectional contour of successive sections of said item passed by said sensor arrangement in being moved to be aligned with said selected other section;
• a signal processor receiving said signals generated by said motion detector arrangement and said sensor arrangement and computing therefrom the volume of a selected segment of said item defined between said selected starting section of said item and said selected other section of said item;
• and,
• a display enabling displaying a numeric value corresponding to said volume of the selected segment of the item as computed by said signal processor with said sensor arrangement support at a position aligned with said selected other section of said item.

An apparatus for displaying a numeric value corresponding to the price of any selected segment of an item to be sold comprising:

• a support surface for supporting said item;
• a sensor arrangement;
• a sensor arrangement support for mounting said sensor arrangement to be freely movable across said support surface in opposite directions along said item so that said sensor arrangement can be selectively positioned adjacent to any section of said item from any other position along said item;
• a motion detector arrangement which generates signals corresponding to the accelerations of said sensor arrangement support in being moved from a reference position adjacent one section of said item to be positioned adjacent to any other section of said item;
• said sensor arrangement generating signals corresponding to the cross sectional contour of successive sections of said item passed by said sensor arrangement in being moved from said reference position;
• a signal processor receiving said signals generated by said motion detector arrangement and said sensor arrangement and computing therefrom the volume of each segment of said item defined between said one section of said item and each other section of said item;
• and,
• a display substantially contemporaneously displaying numeric values corresponding to the price of each segment of said item as computed by said signal processor as said sensor arrangement is moved along said item.

A method of displaying a numeric value corresponding to the volume of a selected segment of an item comprising the steps of:

• disposing said item on a support surface;
• supporting a sensor arrangement above said surface so as to clear said item;
• manually moving said sensor arrangement relative to said support surface in either direction along the item to enable said sensor arrangement to be positioned over any selected other section of said item by displacement from a position over a reference section of said item;
• generating signals corresponding to the cross-sectional contour of successive sections of said item passing beneath said sensor arrangement as said sensor arrangement is passed thereover;
• detecting the accelerations of said sensor arrangement in moving from said position over said reference section of said item to a successive selected position and generating corresponding motion detector signals;
• processing said generated sensor arrangement and motion detector signals to calculate therefrom the volume of each segment of said item defined between said reference section and successive sections thereof passed by said sensor arrangement in moving to said position over said selected other section;
• deriving a numeric value corresponding to a calculated volume of each successive segment;
• and
• displaying said numeric value thereby derived upon reaching each successive section.