Edwin R Elston

US Patent:

20130101166, Apr 25, 2013

Filed:

Oct 16, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/652510

Inventors:

Lee F. Holeva - Ft. Wayne IN, US
Edwin R. Elston - El Paso TX, US
Eric L. Jensen - Troy OH, US
Michael J. Seelinger - South Bend IN, US
John-David S. Yoder - Bluffton OH, US

International Classification:

G06K 9/48

US Classification:

382103, 382199

Abstract:

A programmable computer-implemented method is provided for finding possible corners of a pallet in an image. The method may comprise: acquiring a grey scale image including one or more pallets; determining, using a computer, horizontal cross correlations between the image and a first step-edge template to generate a set of horizontal cross correlation results; determining, using the computer, vertical cross correlations between the image and a second step-edge template to generate a set of vertical cross correlation results; and determining, using the computer, a first set of pixels, each such pixel respectively corresponding to a possible first corner of the one or more pallets, using a first corner template, the set of horizontal cross correlation results and the set of vertical cross correlation results.

US Patent:

20130101167, Apr 25, 2013

Filed:

Oct 16, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/652649

Inventors:

Lee F. Holeva - Ft. Wayne IN, US
Edwin R. Elston - El Paso TX, US
Eric L. Jensen - Troy OH, US
Michael J. Seelinger - South Bend IN, US
John-David S. Yoder - Bluffton OH, US

International Classification:

G06K 9/62

US Classification:

382103

Abstract:

A method of tracking scored candidate objects in a sequence of image frames acquired by a camera is provided. The scored candidate objects may comprise a set of existing scored candidate objects associated with a prior image frame and a set of new scored candidate objects associated with a next image frame.

US Patent:

20130101173, Apr 25, 2013

Filed:

Oct 16, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/652622

Inventors:

Lee F. Holeva - Ft. Wayne IN, US
Edwin R. Elston - El Paso TX, US
Eric L. Jensen - Troy OH, US
Michael J. Seelinger - South Bend IN, US
John-David S. Yoder - Bluffton OH, US

International Classification:

G06K 9/62

US Classification:

382104

Abstract:

A method is provided for controlling forks of a vehicle. The method may comprise: while the forks of the vehicle are moving vertically, acquiring a series of images of a scene of a physical environment in which a plurality of pallets are visible; identifying in each image, by a computer system, one or more scored candidate objects, each potentially corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of pallets; for each of the one or more scored candidate objects, tracking, by the computer system, a respective location in each of at least two images of the series; determining for each of the one or more scored candidate objects a respective, associated height in the physical environment; and stopping, by the computer system, the forks of the vehicle at a height in the physical environment based on the height of a specific one of the scored candidate objects.

US Patent:

20130101201, Apr 25, 2013

Filed:

Oct 16, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/652516

Inventors:

Lee F. Holeva - Ft. Wayne IN, US
Edwin R. Elston - El Paso TX, US
Eric L. Jensen - Troy OH, US
Michael J. Seelinger - South Bend IN, US

International Classification:

G06K 9/46
G06K 9/64

US Classification:

382141

Abstract:

A computer-implemented method is provided for finding a Ro image providing data corresponding to possible orthogonal distances to possible lines on a pallet in an image. The method comprises: acquiring a grey scale image including one or more pallets; determining, using a computer, a horizontal gradient image by convolving the grey scale image and a first convolution kernel; determining, using the computer, a vertical gradient image by convolving the grey scale image and a second convolution kernel; and determining, using the computer, respective pixel values of a first Ro image providing data corresponding to a possible orthogonal distance from an origin point of the grey scale image to one or more possible lines on one or more possible pallets in the grey scale image.

US Patent:

20130101202, Apr 25, 2013

Filed:

Oct 16, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/652534

Inventors:

Lee F. Holeva - Ft. Wayne IN, US
Edwin R. Elston - El Paso TX, US
Eric L. Jensen - Troy OH, US
Michael J. Seelinger - South Bend IN, US

International Classification:

G06K 9/46
G06K 9/64

US Classification:

382141

Abstract:

A method is provided for determining which of a plurality of possible lines is most likely to be an actual line passing through a possible corner of a pallet. The method may comprise: providing a Ro image comprising pixels valued to generally correspond to an orthogonal distance from an origin point in the Ro image to one or more possible lines in a corresponding grey scale image; providing, using a computer, a location in the Ro image corresponding to a possible pallet corner; defining, using the computer, a plurality of possible lines passing through the possible pallet corner, each of the possible lines being respectively oriented at one angle within a range of angles to an axis of the Ro image; and determining, using the computer, which of the plurality of possible lines is most likely to be the actual line passing through the possible pallet corner.

US Patent:

20130101203, Apr 25, 2013

Filed:

Oct 16, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/652563

Inventors:

Lee F. Holeva - Ft. Wayne IN, US
Edwin R. Elston - El Paso TX, US
Michael J. Seelinger - South Bend IN, US
John-David S. Yoder - Bluffton OH, US

International Classification:

G06K 9/46
G06K 9/64

US Classification:

382141

Abstract:

A method is provided for evaluating a possible pallet structure. The method comprises: providing a gray scale image comprising one or more possible lines; providing respective pixel locations in the gray scale image for an estimated upper left corner and an estimated upper right corner; calculating, using a computer, a value h based on the estimated upper left corner location and the estimated upper right corner location; estimating, using the computer, a first hole with a first rectangle having a height h; estimating, using the computer, a second hole with a second rectangle having the height h; and estimating, using the computer, the possible center stringer with a third rectangle having the height h.

US Patent:

20130101204, Apr 25, 2013

Filed:

Oct 16, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/652572

Inventors:

Lee F. Holeva - Ft. Wayne IN, US
Edwin R. Elston - El Paso TX, US
Michael J. Seelinger - South Bend IN, US
John-David S. Yoder - Bluffton OH, US

International Classification:

G06K 9/64
G06K 9/46

US Classification:

382141

Abstract:

A method is provided for evaluating a possible pallet object in a gray scale image including one or more pallets. The method may comprise: generating, by a computer, a first confidence score Scorefor a lower left corner associated with the possible pallet object; generating, by the computer, a second confidence score Scorefor a lower right corner associated with the possible pallet object; generating, by the computer, a third confidence score Scorefor a bottom pallet board line associated with the possible pallet object; generating, by the computer, a fourth confidence score Scorefor a center stringer associated with the possible pallet object; and calculating, by the computer, a composite score Scorebased on the first, second, third and fourth confidence scores.

US Patent:

20130101227, Apr 25, 2013

Filed:

Oct 16, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/652524

Inventors:

Lee F. Holeva - Ft. Wayne IN, US
Edwin R. Elston - El Paso TX, US
Michael J. Seelinger - South Bend IN, US

International Classification:

G06K 9/46

US Classification:

382202

Abstract:

A method is provided for tracing a line from a possible corner of a pallet. The method may comprise: providing a Ro image; identifying, using a computer, a possible pallet corner in the Ro image; positioning, using the computer, a J×K window over at least respective portions of a plurality of rows in the Ro image including at least a portion of a row containing the possible corner; calculating, using the computer, an average of pixel values for each row in the J×K window; determining, using the computer, one of the rows in the J×K window having an average pixel value nearest a current pixel location being considered for inclusion in a line being traced and defining the one row as a nearest row; and deciding, using the computer, whether the nearest row is over a pallet.