Methods and apparatus for freight dimensioning using a laser curtain

1. A dimensioning system for dimensioning a moving freight in motion along a path, the dimensioning system comprising:

a laser curtain system comprising:

a plurality of laser line generators, each configured to emit coplanar laser beams forming a laser curtain, the laser curtain oriented perpendicular to the floor and angled towards the direction of the path of the moving freight;

a camera configured to capture a series of two-dimensional images of the moving freight as the moving freight passes through the laser curtain; and

a positioning sensor configured to detect a position and orientation of the moving freight at times corresponding to each two-dimensional image;

memory configured to store computer executable instructions; and

a processor configured to interface with the laser curtain system and the memory, and configured to execute the computer executable instructions to cause the processor to:

based at least in part on the appearance of laser light in each of the each two- dimensional images, correlate each successive two-dimensional image of the moving freight with each position and orientation of the moving freight to obtain a composite three-dimensional shape of the moving freight; and

process the composite three-dimensional shape of the moving freight to dimension the moving freight.

2. The dimensioning system of claim 1 , wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

determine, based on the dimensions of the moving freight, a volume of the moving freight;

calculate, based on the volume of the moving freight, a shipping price for the moving freight; and

charge the shipping price for the moving freight to a customer associated with the moving freight.

3. The dimensioning system of claim 1 , wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

compare the composite three-dimensional shape of the moving freight to an expected three-dimensional shape of the moving freight;

identify one or more anomalies in the composite-three dimensional shape of the moving freight compared to the expected three-dimensional shape of the moving freight; and

determine, based on the identified anomalies, that the moving freight is damaged.

4. The dimensioning system of claim 3 , wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

generate an indication that the moving freight is damaged in a record associated with the moving freight.

5. The dimensioning system of claim 1 , wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

compare the composite three-dimensional shape of the moving freight to an expected three-dimensional shape of the moving freight; and

determine, based on the comparison, that the moving freight has a greater volume than expected; and

generate, based on determining that the moving freight has a larger volume than expected, an indication that a customer associated with the moving freight has been undercharged for shipping the freight.

6. The dimensioning system of claim 1 , wherein the computer executable instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

compare the composite three-dimensional shape of the moving freight to an expected three-dimensional shape of the moving freight; and

determine, based on the comparison, that the moving freight has a smaller volume than expected; and

generate an indication, based on determining that the moving freight has a smaller volume than expected, an indication that a customer associated with the moving freight has been overcharged for shipping the freight.

7. The dimensioning system of claim 1 , wherein the laser curtain is angled at a 45-degree angle to the direction of the path of the moving freight.

8. The dimensioning system of claim 1 , wherein the laser curtain is angled at an angle between 30 degrees and 60 degrees, inclusive, to the direction of the path of the moving freight.

9. A computer-implemented method of dimensioning a moving freight in motion along a path, the method comprising:

obtaining a series of two-dimensional images of a moving freight as the moving freight passes through a laser curtain oriented perpendicular to the floor and angled towards the direction of the path of the moving freight,

the laser curtain comprising coplanar laser beams emitted by a plurality of laser line generators;

determining a position and orientation of the moving freight at times corresponding to each two-dimensional image;

based at least in part on the appearance of laser light in each of the each two-dimensional images, correlating, by a processor, each successive two-dimensional image of the moving freight with each position and orientation of the moving freight to obtain a composite three-dimensional shape of the moving freight; and

processing, by the processor, the composite three-dimensional shape of the moving freight to dimension the moving freight.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

determining, by the processor, based on the dimensions of the moving freight, a volume of the moving freight;

calculating, by the processor, based on the volume of the moving freight, a shipping price for the moving freight; and

charging, by the processor, the shipping price for the moving freight to a customer associated with the moving freight.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

comparing, by the processor, the composite three-dimensional shape of the moving freight to an expected three-dimensional shape of the moving freight;

identifying, by the processor, one or more anomalies in the composite-three dimensional shape of the moving freight compared to the expected three-dimensional shape of the moving freight; and

determining, by the processor, based on the identified anomalies, that the moving freight is damaged.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

generating, by the processor, an indication that the moving freight is damaged in a record associated with the moving freight.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

comparing, by the processor, the composite three-dimensional shape of the moving freight to an expected three-dimensional shape of the moving freight; and

determining, by the processor, based on the comparison, that the moving freight has a greater volume than expected; and

generating, by the processor, based on determining that the moving freight has a larger volume than expected, an indication that a customer associated with the moving freight has been undercharged for shipping the freight.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

comparing, by the processor, the composite three-dimensional shape of the moving freight to an expected three-dimensional shape of the moving freight; and

determining, by the processor, based on the comparison, that the moving freight has a smaller volume than expected; and

generating, by the processor, based on determining that the moving freight has a smaller volume than expected, an indication that a customer associated with the moving freight has been overcharged for shipping the freight.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the laser curtain is angled at a 45-degree angle to the direction of the path of the moving freight.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the laser curtain is angled at an angle between 30 degrees and 60 degrees, inclusive, to the direction of the path of the moving freight.

17. A tangible machine-readable medium having machine-readable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause a system to at least :

capture a series of two-dimensional images of a moving freight as the moving freight passes through a laser curtain oriented perpendicular to the floor and angled towards the direction of the path of the moving freight,

the laser curtain comprising coplanar laser beams emitted by a plurality of laser line generators;

detect a position and orientation of the moving freight at times corresponding to each two-dimensional image;

based at least in part on the appearance of laser light in each of the each two-dimensional images, correlate each successive two-dimensional image of the moving freight with each position and orientation of the moving freight to obtain a composite three-dimensional shape of the moving freight; and

process the composite three-dimensional shape of the moving freight to dimension the moving freight.

18. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the system to:

determine, based on the dimensions of the moving freight, a volume of the moving freight;

calculate, based on the volume of the moving freight, a shipping price for the moving freight; and

charge the shipping price for the moving freight to a customer associated with the moving freight.

19. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the system to:

compare the composite three-dimensional shape of the moving freight to an expected three-dimensional shape of the moving freight;

identify one or more anomalies in the composite-three dimensional shape of the moving freight compared to the expected three-dimensional shape of the moving freight; and

determine based on the identified anomalies, that the moving freight is damaged.

20. The tangible machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the system to:

compare the composite three-dimensional shape of the moving freight to an expected three-dimensional shape of the moving freight; and

determine, based on the comparison, that the moving freight has a greater volume than expected; and

generate, based on determining that the moving freight has a larger volume than expected, an indication that a customer associated with the moving freight has been undercharged for shipping the freight.