Material weight measurement system
A machine vision camera combined to one of the first storage carrier and the second storage carrier for detecting an offloading event. A sensor for measuring the weight of the material offloaded from the first storage carrier to the second storage carrier. A scale controller in communication with the machine vision camera and the sensor. The scale controller enters a tear mode in response to the beginning of offloading event and records and stores the weight of material offloaded from the first storage carrier to the second storage carrier as measured by the sensor.
1. A system for measuring a weight of material offloaded from a first storage carrier to a second storage carrier, the system comprising:
a machine vision camera combined to one of the first storage carrier and the second storage carrier for detecting an offloading event;
a sensor for measuring the weight of material offloaded from the first storage carrier to the second storage carrier;
a scale controller in communication with the machine vision camera and the sensor wherein the scale controller enters a tear mode in response to the offloading event and records and stores the weight of material offloaded from the first storage carrier to the second storage carrier as measured by the sensor;
a processor in communication with the machine vision camera for processing images from the machine vision camera, wherein the processor receives a plurality of time-sequenced images from the machine vision camera and determines a beginning of the offloading event by comparing the plurality of time-sequenced images with images in a library of tagged events; wherein in response to the beginning of the offloading event, the processor communicates to the scale controller causing the scale controller to enter the tear mode and store the weight of material as measured by the sensor offloaded from the first storage carrier to the second storage carrier.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the scale controller is in communication with machine vision camera a first signal representative of the offloading event and in response to the offloading event records a beginning weight, and wherein the scale controller receives from the machine vision camera a second signal representative of the end of the offloading event, and in response records an ending weight, and wherein the scale controller determines a weight record for the material offloaded from the first storage carrier to the second storage carrier from a difference in weight.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the scale controller is in communication with a position subsystem and wherein the scale controller records a location of the weight recording.
4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the scale controller records an identification of the second storage carrier associated with the weight record.
5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the scale controller comprises a scale interface to present to a visual display of a changing weight.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the system further comprises an image ID subsystem for identifying an image label to associate with one of the first storage carrier and the second storage carrier.
7. The system of claim 3 , wherein the positional subsystem comprises a GPS receiver to provide a location of the first storage carrier.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the machine vision camera is combined to an exterior of the one of the first storage carrier and the second storage carrier.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the machine vision camera is combined to an exterior of a tractor coupled to the first storage carrier.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the machine vision camera is one chosen from an RGB, Infrared, or Thermal imaging processing machine vision camera.
11. A method for measuring weight of material, the method comprising:
monitoring the weight of material in a first storage carrier;
detecting with a machine vision camera an offloading event of material expelling into a second storage carrier;
entering a tare mode on a scale controller connected to a sensor on the first storage carrier when the offloading event is detected by the machine vision camera;
weighing the material during the offloading event;
detecting with the machine vision camera an end of the offloading event; and
ending the tare mode on the scale controller upon detection of the end of the offloading event, wherein the detecting with a machine vision camera an offloading event, further comprises receiving a plurality of time-sequenced images from the machine vision camera; and determining a beginning of the offloading event by comparing the plurality of time-sequenced images with images in a library of tagged events.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising recording a tare value corresponding to a weight of the material expelled from the first storage carrier during the offloading event.
13. The method of claim 12 , and further comprising recording a geographical location of the first storage carrier upon the detection of the ending of the tare mode of the scale controller.
14. The method of claim 13 , and further comprising recording an identification of the first storage carrier with an image sensing device upon the ending of the tare mode of the scale controller.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein in response to the beginning of the offloading event, entering a tear mode on the scale controller and storing the weight of material as measured by the sensor offloaded from the first storage carrier to the second storage carrier.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein detecting with the machine vision camera the end of the offloading event further comprises receiving a plurality of time-sequenced images from the machine vision camera; and determining the end of the offloading event by comparing the plurality of time-sequenced images with images in a library of tagged events.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein ending the tare mode on the scale controller upon detection of the end of the offloading event, further comprises communicating from the machine vision camera to the scale controller the end of the offloading event.