# US 8,645,216 B2 · Enrollment apparatus, system, and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,645,216 B2 - Document ID: US8645216B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/410,877 - Filed: 2012-03-02 - Published: 2012-06-28 - Granted: 2014-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2007-11-26 - Assignees: Proiam, LLC - Applicants: Mike Murphy; Paul Yarin; Eric Metois; Will Crosby; Wilson Pearce; Mark Durbin - Inventors: Mike Murphy; Paul Yarin; Eric Metois; Will Crosby; Wilson Pearce; Mark Durbin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8645216B2 ## CPC - G06V 30/424: Postal images, e.g. labels or addresses on parcels or postal envelopes - G06Q 10/087: Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders - G06Q 10/0877: {by inventory control or reporting using inventory tracking or counting} - G06Q 20/202: {Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR} - G06Q 20/208: {Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing} - G06T 7/62: of area, perimeter, diameter or volume - G06V 20/20: in augmented reality scenes - G06V 20/64: Three-dimensional [3D] objects - G06V 30/1456: {based on user interactions} - G07B 17/00193: {Constructional details of apparatus in a franking system} - G07B 17/00661: {Sensing or measuring mailpieces (weighing G01G19/00)} - G06V 30/10: Character recognition - G07B 17/00508: {Printing or attaching on mailpieces (printing mechanisms B41J; security printing B41M3/14; marking methods B41M5/00; inks C09D11/00; record carriers with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00)} - G07B 2017/00225: {Vending machine or POS (Point Of Sale) apparatus} - G07B 2017/00685: {Measuring the dimensions of mailpieces} - G07B 2017/00701: {Measuring the weight of mailpieces} - G07B 2017/00725: {Reading symbols, e.g. OCR} - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G07B: TICKET-ISSUING APPARATUS; FARE-REGISTERING APPARATUS; FRANKING APPARATUS ## Abstract An apparatus for enrolling a package is disclosed including: a receiving surface for receiving the package; at least one weight sensor in communication with the receiving surface which generates a weight signal indicative of the weight of the package; at least one video camera which generates a video signal indicative of an image of the package on the receiving surface; and a processor in communication with the at least one weight sensor and the at least one video camera. The processor includes: a weight module which produces, in response to the weight signal, weight data indicative of the weight of the package; and a dimension capture module which produces, in response to the video signal, dimension data indicative of the size of the package. In some embodiments, the processor further includes a recognition module which produces, in response to the video signal, character data indicative of one or more characters present on the package. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for enrolling a package on a receiving surface comprising: the receiving surface; at least one weight sensor in communication with the receiving surface which generates a weight signal indicative of the weight of the package; a video camera unit positioned to view the package, wherein the camera unit: generates a video signal indicative of an image of the package on the receiving surface; and a processor in communication with the at least one weight sensor and the one video camera unit, said processor comprising: a weight module which produces, in response to the weight signal, weight data indicative of the weight of the package; a dimension capture module which produces, in response to the video signal, dimension data indicative of the size of the package, wherein the dimension capture module comprises a tracking module which produces, in response to the video signal, tracking data indicative of the presence and location of the package on the receiving surface, wherein the tracking information comprises length and width dimension data indicative of the size of the package along two axes lying in a plane parallel to the receiving surface; and a recognition module which produces, in response to the video signal, character data indicative of one or more characters present on the package; wherein the video signal comprises a stream of two dimensional image frames. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tracking information further comprises height dimension data indicative of the size of the package along an axis transverse to the plane parallel to the receiving surface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the camera unit comprises a stereoscopic imager. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the dimension capture module produces, in response to a stereoscopic video signal from the stereoscopic imager, the height dimension data. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dimension capture module comprises an edge finder module which produces, in response to the video signal, edge data indicative of the location of one or more edges of the package. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the dimension capture module comprises at least one chosen from the group consisting of: a frame differencing module which generates two dimensional difference images from two or more two dimensional images of the video signal; and a color masking module configured to generate information indicative of the presence or location of the package based on color information from the video signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the dimension capture module comprises a Hough transformation module which applies the Hough transformation to one or more images from the video signal, and analyzes the transformed images to determine information indicative of the size or location of edges on the package. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the recognition module comprises: an image processing module for processing one or more two dimensional images from the video signal; and an analysis module which analyzes the one or more processed images to produce the character data indicative of one or more characters present on the package. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the image processing module comprises at least one chosen from the list consisting of: a color manipulating module for modifying the color of the one or more images; a linear filter module for applying a linear image filter to the one or more images; and a morphological filter module for applying one or more morphological operations to the one or more images. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the image processing module comprises an image segmentation module for segmenting the one or more images into one or more regions of interest based on the content of the images. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the image processing module comprises an image rotation module which rotates at least a portion of the one or more images. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the image rotation module is in communication with the dimension capture module, and rotates at least a portion of the one or more images based on information from the dimension capture module indicative of the location of the package. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the camera unit comprises at least two cameras each generating a respective video signal, and wherein the cameras have least partially overlapping fields of view, and the processor comprises an image stitching module which, in response to the respective video signals, combines overlapping two dimensional images from the at least two cameras to produce a single image of the combined field of view of the cameras. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein substantially all locations on the receiving surface fall within the field of view of the camera unit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the camera unit includes only a single camera. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, comprising an integrated housing comprising the receiving surface and processor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a support arm extending between a proximal end connected to the housing and a distal end positioned above the receiving surface, said distal end comprising at least one chosen from the group consisting of: a range finder, and the camera unit. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one weight sensor comprises: a load cell, a MEMs device, a piezoelectric device, a spring scale, and a balance scale. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a postal meter in communication with the processor. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the camera unit comprises an infrared camera.