The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 15, 1999
Filed:
Jan. 14, 1997
Johannes AS. Bjorner, Woodbury, CT (US);
Jaroslav Janik, Southbury, CT (US);
United Parcel Service of America, Inc., Atlantic, GA (US);
Abstract
The optical path between a camera positioned above a conveyor and objects traveling on the conveyor is adjusted by moving a plurality of mirrors that at least partially define the optical path. The mirrors are manipulated as a function of the height of the objects so that the length of the optical path between each object and the camera is generally the same. The plurality of movable mirrors are equidistant from and arranged about a central point. The plurality of movable mirrors are contemporaneously moved toward and away from the central point to equalize the length of the optical path. Each of the movable mirrors translates along a different travel path. The travel paths are non-parallel. The plurality of movable mirrors are arranged so that the optical path includes a plurality of segments, and at least one intersection is defined between the segments distant from the movable mirrors.