Granted Patent B2

US 12,626,502 · App. 17/190,476 · Granted May 12, 2026

Inventors: Todd M. Schimmel (Annandale, VA); Ryan J. Simpson (Vienna, VA)

Assignee: UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE

G06V20/00G06K19/06009G06K19/0776G06T7/62G06V30/2247G06V30/424

Abstract

Claims (66)

1 . A computer-implemented method performed by an item measuring system included in an automated mail sorting system, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving an image of an item including a reference tag attached to the item, the image of the item having been captured at an isometric angle showing three dimensions of the item;

attempting to automatically detect a perimeter of the item within the image using a contrast-analysis image processing technique;

in response to failing to detect the perimeter of the item within the image using the contrast-analysis image processing technique, outputting a message directing a user to place the item in front of a high contrast background to produce a retaken image of the item, wherein the retaken image has the high contrast background;

receiving the retaken image of the item having the high contrast background, including the reference tag attached to the item;

automatically detecting, using the contrast-analysis image processing technique, the perimeter of the item within the retaken image having the high contrast background;

identifying a type of the reference tag;

identifying known dimensions of the reference tag based on the type;

determining a number of pixels for each dimension associated with the perimeter of the item in the retaken image;

determining dimensions of the item based on corresponding numbers of pixels associated with the known dimensions of the reference tag and the number of pixels for each dimension associated with the perimeter of the item in the retaken image; and

causing an adjustment to at least one of the mail sorting operations of the automated mail sorting system based on the dimensions of the item.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the dimensions of the item further comprises:

determining a length represented by each pixel in the retaken image based on the known dimensions of the reference tag and the numbers of pixels associated with each of the dimensions of the reference tag;

determining the dimensions of the item in a form of pixels in the retaken image; and

converting the dimensions of the item in the form of pixels to standardized units based on the length represented by each pixel.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying the type of the reference tag comprises extracting features of the reference tag from the retaken image.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the retaken image is received from a computing device hosting an application for measuring the item based on capturing the retaken image of the item.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying the known dimensions of the reference tag based on the type comprises:

accessing, based on the identified type, a length dimension of the reference tag from a data structure.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:

the receiving of the image includes receiving the image from a computing device that captured the image.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein

the computing device is operably connected to a camera.

8 . A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computing device of an automated mail sorting system to cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving an image of an item including a reference tag attached to the item, the image of the item having been captured at an isometric angle showing three dimensions of the item;

attempting to automatically detect a perimeter of the item within the image using a contrast-analysis image processing technique;

in response to failing to detect the perimeter of the item within the image using the contrast-analysis image processing technique, outputting a message directing a user to place the item in front of a high contrast background to produce a retaken image of the item, wherein the retaken image has the high contrast background;

receiving the retaken image of the item having the high contrast background, including the reference tag attached to the item;

automatically detecting, using the contrast-analysis image processing technique, the perimeter of the item within the retaken image having the high contrast background;

identifying a type of the reference tag;

identifying known dimensions of the reference tag based on the type;

determining a number of pixels for each dimension associated with the perimeter of the item in the retaken image;

determining dimensions of the item based on corresponding numbers of pixels associated with the known dimensions of the reference tag and the number of pixels for each dimension associated with the perimeter of the item in the retaken image; and

causing an adjustment to at least one of the mail sorting operations of the automated mail sorting system based on the dimensions of the item.

9 . The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the determining the dimensions of the item further comprises:

determining a length represented by each pixel in the retaken image based on the known dimensions of the reference tag and the numbers of pixels associated with each of the dimensions of the reference tag;

determining the dimensions of the item in a form of pixels in the retaken image; and

converting the dimensions of the item in the form of pixels to standardized units based on the length represented by each pixel.

10 . The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the identifying the type of the reference tag comprises extracting features of the reference tag from the retaken image.

11 . The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the retaken image is received from a computing device hosting an application for measuring the item based on capturing the retaken image of the item.

12 . The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein the identifying the known dimensions of the reference tag based on the type comprises:

accessing, based on the identified type, a length dimension of the reference tag from a data structure.

13 . The computer program product of claim 8 , wherein:

the receiving of the image includes receiving the image from a computerized device that captured the image.

14 . A system comprising:

a processor, a computer readable memory, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium associated with a computing device of an automated mail sorting system, and program instructions executable by the computing device to cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving an image of an item including a reference tag attached to the item, the image of the item having been captured at an isometric angle showing three dimensions of the item;

attempting to automatically detect a perimeter of the item within the image using a contrast-analysis image processing technique;

in response to failing to detect the perimeter of the item within the image using the contrast-analysis image processing technique, outputting a message directing a user to place the item in front of a high contrast background to produce a retaken image of the item, wherein the retaken image has the high contrast background;

receiving the retaken image of the item having the high contrast background, including the reference tag attached to the item;

automatically detecting, using the contrast-analysis image processing technique, the perimeter of the item within the retaken image having the high contrast background;

identifying a type of the reference tag;

identifying known dimensions of the reference tag based on the type;

determining a number of pixels for each dimension associated with the perimeter of the item in the retaken image;

determining dimensions of the item based on corresponding numbers of pixels associated with the known dimensions of the reference tag and the number of pixels for each dimension associated with the perimeter of the item in the retaken image; and

causing an adjustment to at least one of the mail sorting operations of the automated mail sorting system based on the dimensions of the item.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the determining the dimensions of the item further comprises:

determining a length represented by each pixel in the retaken image based on the known dimensions of the reference tag and the associated corresponding numbers of pixels;

determining the dimensions of the item in a form of pixels in the retaken image; and

converting the dimensions of the item in the form of pixels to standardized units based on the length represented by each pixel.

16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the identifying the type of the reference tag comprises extracting features of the reference tag from the retaken image.

17 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the retaken image is received from a computing device hosting an application for measuring the item based on capturing the retaken image of the item.

18 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the identifying the known dimensions of the reference tag based on the type comprises:

accessing, based on the identified type, a length dimension of the reference tag from a data structure.

19 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the receiving of the image includes receiving the image from a computerized device that captured the image.

20 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the computerized device is operably connected to a camera.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (11)