| 摘要 |
The invention is a method and apparatus for measuring the dimensions of a parcel. The method comprises a series of steps utilizing the apparatus for determining each of the relevant dimensions of the parcel. The steps begin with the placing of a parcel on a flat surface in a field of measurement; the flat surface can be the weighing surface of a scale for calculating the parcel weight. A laser scanner is positioned and then rotated within its position so as to locate the lead and trail edges of the parcel, the left and right sides, and the top and bottom edges. The positioning data is then transmitted to a data processor which calculates the length, width, and height of the parcel. A conveyor belt for transporting the parcel to the measurement field can be utilized. A laser beam is transmitted toward a mirror so that the parcel must pass the mirror while the parcel is on the conveyor belt. The mirror is further positioned so that the laser beam is deflected toward an encoder bar located on the surface of the conveyor belt. During the transmission of the laser beam, a count is established which corresponds to a predetermined measurement scale. The count is continued until the transmission of the laser beam to the encoder bar is broken by passage of the parcel across the laser beam; the count continues when the beam is no longer blocked. The length and height of the parcel can then be determined.
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