System and method for recognizing a unit load device (ULD) number marked on an air cargo unit

A method comprising:

• obtaining information relating to a presence status of an air cargo unit;
• triggering one or more cameras to acquire one or more images based on a change in a value of the presence status, at least one of the one or more images having a confidence value;
• processing the images to perform arbitration, the arbitration being operative to determine whether the air cargo unit is at least one of (a) a container, (b) a pallet, or (c) neither a container nor a pallet;
• matching, based on the confidence value, information relating to the one or more images with stored information relating to previously acquired images;
• and
• improving the arbitration based on the matching.

A system comprising:

• a container camera to acquire one or more images of a container;
• a pallet camera to acquire one or more images of a pallet;
• a presence sensing module to detect a presence status of an air cargo unit in a scanning zone, the presence status can have a value being one of present or absent;
• a container recognition processor coupled to the presence sensing module and to the container camera;
• a pallet recognition processor coupled to the presence sensing module and to the pallet camera;
• and
• a controlling server in communication with the container recognition processor and the pallet recognition processor and to:
• obtain from the presence sensing module information relating to the presence status of the air cargo unit;
• trigger the container camera and the pallet camera to acquire images based on a change in the value of the presence status, one or more of the images having a confidence value;
• process the images from the container camera and the images from the pallet camera to perform arbitration, the arbitration determining whether the air cargo unit is a container, a pallet, or neither a container nor a pallet;
• match, based on at least one confidence value, information relating to the acquired images with stored information relating to previously acquired images;
• and
• improve the arbitration based on the matching.