Void identification for packaging and apparatuses and methods for using void identification

Abstract

A void fill system may be used to scan a carton before, during, or after pre-fill material is dispensed into the carton, one or more products are packaged into the carton, and/or when void fill material is dispensed to the carton having the one or more products. The void fill system may include one or more sensors, which may be used identify the carton and/or identify the carton volume. The one or more sensors may also be used to identify the current carton volume (e.g., of the products, fill material, etc.). The information captured by the void fill system may be used to determine a proposed packaging recipe (e.g., suggest a carton, void fill, product configuration, etc.) based on supplier or customer preferences, product information, shipping information, or the like, to provide a notification with recommendations regarding the packaging process, and/or to automatically dispense void fill material.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A material fill system, the system comprising:
 one or more sensors;   one or more memory devices with computer-readable program code stored thereon; and   one or more processing devices operatively coupled to the one or more memory devices and the one or more sensors, wherein the one or more processing devices are configured to execute the computer-readable program code to:
 receive a carton volume for a carton; 
 identify a current carton volume of the carton using the one or more sensors; and 
 determine a void fill amount based on the carton volume and the current carton volume. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the carton volume is a maximum fill volume of the carton. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the carton volume comprises:
 identifying a carton height, a carton length, and a carton width using the one or more sensors.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein identifying the carton height comprises:
 identifying a position of one or more flap folds between one or more flaps and one or more walls of the carton using the one or more sensors; and   identifying a distance between the one or more flap folds and a bottom edge of the carton or support surface on which the carton sits.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein identifying the carton length and the carton width comprises:
 identifying two or more edges of an opening of the carton using the one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors are one or more overhead sensors; and   identifying the carton length and the carton width based on a measurement of the two or more edges of the opening of the carton.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the carton volume comprises:
 identifying a carton identifier using the one or more sensors;   accessing stored carton identifiers that correspond to a plurality of cartons;   comparing the carton identifier with the stored carton identifiers; and   identifying a dedicated carton as the carton and determining the carton volume for the dedicated carton when the carton identifier meets a stored carton identifier from the stored carton identifiers.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the carton identifier may comprise a carton length, a carton height, a carton width, a carton tag, a carton label, a carton barcode, a carton QR code, a carton RFID tag, a carton character, or a carton color. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the carton volume comprises:
 receiving a redundant carton selection and determining the carton volume for the redundant carton.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the current carton volume of the carton comprises identifying a product volume for one or more products in the carton using the one or more sensors. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein identifying the current carton volume of the carton comprising identifying a pre-fill material volume for pre-fill material in the carton. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein determining the void fill amount comprises taking a difference between the carton volume and the current carton volume. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein determining the void fill amount is further based on a recipe. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the recipe has recipe characteristics comprising a suppler packing the carton, a customer receiving the carton, a fill type, a carton type, or product information. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the recipe comprises:
 an increase or decrease of the void fill amount based on supplier preference or customer preference.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processing devices are further configured to execute the computer-readable program code to:
 send a void fill dispensing request to a void fill dispenser for the void fill amount; and   wherein the void fill dispenser dispenses the void fill amount.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processing devices are further configured to execute the computer-readable program code to:
 send a void fill notification to a user computer system or a cartoning computer system, wherein the void fill notification comprises the void fill amount.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processing devices are further configurated to execute the computer-readable program code to:
 send a void fill notification to a user computer system, wherein the void fill notification comprises a recommended void fill amount, a recommended void fill type, a recommended carton, a recommended product configuration.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise a camera, a laser, a light curtain, radar, LiDAR, infrared, a near-field communication device, or a RFID detector. 
     
     
         19 . A cartoning machine, comprising:
 a carton transport system for transporting a carton; and   a material fill system, the material fill system comprising:
 one or more sensors; 
 one or more memory devices with computer-readable program code stored thereon; and 
 one or more processing devices operatively coupled to the one or more memory devices and the one or more sensors, wherein the one or more processing devices are configured to execute the computer-readable program code to:
 receive a carton volume for the carton; 
 identify a current carton volume of the carton using the one or more sensors; and 
 determine a void fill amount based on the carton volume and the current carton volume. 
 
   
     
     
         20 . A computer-implemented method for using a material fill system having one or more processors operatively coupled to one or more sensors, the computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving, by the one or more processors, a carton volume of a carton;   identifying, by the one or more processors, a current carton volume of the carton using the one or more sensors; and   determining a void fill amount based on the carton volume and the current carton volume.