# US 9,752,874 B1 · Internal measurement collection system and method of using same

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 9,752,874 B1
- Document ID: US9752874B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 15/360,665
- Filed: 2016-11-23
- Granted: 2017-09-05
- Earliest claimed: 2011-06-08
- Assignees: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
- Applicants: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Matthew Tyler Wilkinson; Grant B. Fresen; Nicholas B. End; Michael Lin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9752874B1

## CPC

- G01B 21/20: for measuring contours or curvatures, e.g. determining profile
- A41H 1/00: Measuring aids or methods
- A43D 1/02: Foot-measuring devices (measuring the shape, pattern or size of the body for diagnostic purposes A61B5/103, e.g. measuring physical dimensions A61B5/107)
- A43D 1/06: Measuring devices for the inside measure of shoes, for the height of heels, or for the arrangement of heels
- G06F 30/00: Computer-aided design [CAD]
- G06Q 30/0631: {Recommending goods or services}
- G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS
- A41H: APPLIANCES OR METHODS FOR MAKING CLOTHES, e.g. FOR DRESS-MAKING OR FOR TAILORING, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- A43D: MACHINES, TOOLS, EQUIPMENT OR METHODS FOR MANUFACTURING OR REPAIRING FOOTWEAR
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- 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

## Abstract

A system for measuring dimensions and/or other internal properties of a shoe, garment or other object of interest is described. The system includes a fixture having a measurement tip. When the tip is placed inside of the object of interest, a processor collects positional data from the fixture to develop a three-dimensional model of the interior of the object. If the measurement tip includes one or more pressure sensors, the processor may collect pressure data and use the pressure data to include stretch properties in the three-dimensional model.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for determining internal dimensions of an object of interest, the system comprising:
an adjustable fixture comprising:
a plurality of sections, wherein an individual section has a shape corresponding to an interior portion of the object of interest;
a member configured to expand a first pair of sections within the object of interest in a first direction to measure a first internal distance and to expand a second pair of sections in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction to measure a second internal distance;
a positional sensor configured to collect positional data of the adjustable fixture based at least in part on expansion of the first pair of sections within the object of interest in the first direction and expansion of the second pair of sections within the object of interest in the second direction;
a pressure sensor, located on outward facing surfaces of the first pair of sections and the second pair of sections, configured to collect pressure data based at least in part on the expansion of the first pair of sections within the object of interest in the first direction and the expansion of the second pair of sections within the object of interest in the second direction;
a processor in communication with the positional sensor and the pressure sensor, and configured to receive the positional data from the positional sensor and the pressure data from the pressure sensor;
a first database to store an object model associated with the object of interest, the object model including the positional data and the pressure data; and
a memory containing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
retrieve a device identifier for the adjustable fixture;
identify, using the device identifier, a three-dimensional fixture model from a plurality of three-dimensional fixture models stored in a second database, the three-dimensional fixture model corresponding to the adjustable fixture;
determine a change in dimension of the adjustable fixture based on the positional data and the three-dimensional fixture model;
determine material stretch properties of the object of interest based on the pressure data; and
develop the object model using the change in dimension and the material stretch properties.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the adjustable fixture further comprises a drive mechanism operably connected to the plurality of sections and configured to cause one or more the plurality of sections to move from a retracted state to an expanded state.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein a section of the plurality of sections comprises at least one reference point indicating a current position.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the object of interest is a footwear item and at least one section of the plurality of sections is configured to conform to a shape of a toe portion of the footwear item.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the adjustable fixture further comprises a force gauge configured to measure an amount of force exerted by the plurality of sections on the object of interest.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to determine an offset position based at least in part on the expansion of the individual section within the object of interest.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to use the offset position to develop three-dimensional data for the object model.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein:
the adjustable fixture further comprises:
a directional member that is connected to the member via a first hinge;
a base arm that is rotatably connected to the directional member via a second hinge; and
a base that is rotatably connected to the base arm.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to determine a girth of the interior portion of the object of interest based on the positional data.

### Claim 10

A system for measuring a wearable item, the system comprising:
a fixture comprising:
a plurality of measurement sections that correspond to an interior portion of the wearable item, the plurality of measurement sections comprising a plurality of pressure sensors, located on outward facing surfaces of the plurality of measurement sections, configured to collect pressure data;
a member configured to move a first pair of measurement sections within the wearable item in a first direction to measure a first internal dimension of the interior portion of the wearable item and to move a second pair of measurement sections within the wearable item in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction to measure a second internal dimension of the interior portion of the wearable item; and
a positional sensor configured to collect positional data of the fixture based at least in part on the member moving the first pair of measurement sections and the second pair of measurement sections;
a processor in communication with the positional sensor and the plurality of pressure sensors, and configured to receive the positional data from the positional sensor and the pressure data from the plurality of pressure sensors; and
a memory containing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
retrieve a device identifier for the fixture;
identify, using the device identifier, a three-dimensional fixture model from a plurality of three-dimensional fixture models stored in a fixture database, the three-dimensional fixture model corresponding to the fixture;
determine a change in dimension of the fixture based on the positional data and the three-dimensional fixture model;
determine material stretch properties of the wearable item based on the pressure data; and
develop an object model using the change in dimension and the material stretch properties.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:
determine a plurality of offset positions based at least in part on movement of the first pair of measurement sections within the wearable item in the first direction and movement of the second pair of measurement sections within the wearable item in the second direction; and
use the plurality of offset positions to develop the object model for the wearable item.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein each offset position is separated from an end by a vector.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein:
an individual measurement section is configured to move from a retracted state to an expanded state;
the fixture further comprises a drive mechanism operably connected to the plurality of measurement sections and configured to facilitate movement of the individual measurement sections from the retracted state to the expanded state; and
the fixture further comprises a force gauge configured to measure an amount of force exerted by the plurality of measurement sections on the wearable item.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The system of claim 13, wherein an individual measurement section of the plurality of the measurement sections comprises at least one associated reference point indicating a current position of the individual measurement section.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein:
the wearable item comprises a footwear item;
the interior portion of the wearable item comprise a toe portion of the footwear item;
the plurality of measurement sections comprise a measurement tip and together are positioned and configured to conform to the toe portion of the footwear item; and
the system further comprises a second plurality of measurement sections that together are positioned and configured to conform to a shape of an interior of a heel portion of the footwear item.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the fixture further comprises:
a directional member that is connected to the member via a first hinge;
a base arm that is rotatably connected to the directional member via a second hinge; and
a base that is rotatably connected to the base arm.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to determine a girth of the interior portion of the wearable item based on the positional data.

### Claim 18

A method comprising:
using a fixture to gather positional data and pressure data of an interior of an object, the fixture comprising:
a plurality of measurement sections that correspond to an interior portion of the object;
a plurality of pressure sensors configured to collect the pressure data;
a member configured to move a first pair of measurement sections within the object in a first direction to measure a first dimension of the interior portion of the object and to move a second pair of measurement sections in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction to measure a second dimension of the interior portion of the object; and
a positional sensor configured to collect the positional data based at least in part on the member moving the first pair of measurement sections and the second pair of measurement sections;
retrieving a device identifier for the fixture;
identifying, using the device identifier, a three-dimensional fixture model associated with the fixture;
determining a change in dimension of the fixture based upon the positional data and the three-dimensional fixture model;
determining material stretch properties of the object based on the pressure data; and
creating a three-dimensional object model of the object based upon the change in dimension and the material stretch properties.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising:
determining a plurality of offset positions based at least in part on movement of the first pair of measurements sections within the object in the first direction and movement of the second pair of measurement sections within the object in the second direction;
including the plurality of offset positions in the positional data;
receiving, by a processor and from the plurality of pressure sensors, the pressure data;
receiving, by the processor and from the positional sensor, the positional data; and
developing the three-dimensional object model using the pressure data and the positional data.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the object comprises a shoe and the material stretch properties comprise at least one of a value related to an amount of support the shoe provides or a value related to an amount of comfort the shoe provides.