Agricultural article inspection apparatus and method employing spectral manipulation to enhance detection contrast ratio
Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000
United States of America Patent
Stats
-
Jun 25, 2002
Issued Date -
N/A
app pub date -
Dec 14, 1999
filing date -
Mar 26, 1999
priority date (Note) -
Expired
status (Latency Note)
Importance
Abstract
A sorting system (110) conveys articles, such as peaches (114) on a conveyor belt (112) past an inspection zone (126) that is lighted by an illumination source (90) radiating a number of emission peaks over visible and infrared portions of the spectrum. The illumination source generates the radiation from an Indium Iodide lamp (92) that is reflected off a parabolic reflector (94) and through a 'soda straw' collimator (100) to illuminated the peaches. A detector system (118) employs line scanning visible and infrared cameras (142, 140) to sense visible and IR wavelength reflectance values for the peach meat (124) and peach pit or pit fragments (126). Various image processing and analysis methologies, such as subtraction, ratio, logarithmic, regression, combination, angle, distance, and shape may be employed to enhance the image contrast and classify the resulting data for sorting the peaches. Employing subtraction also cancels 'glint' caused by specular reflections of the illumination source off the peaches and into the cameras.
First Claim
Family
International Classification(s)
Cited Art Landscape
Patent Citation Ranking
Recipient Email Address
Recipient Email Address
Comment
Recipient Email Address
Add to Portfolio(s)
To add this patent to one, or more, of your portfolios, simply click the add button.
This Patent is in these Portfolios:
Add to additional portfolios:
Last Refreshed On:
Changes done successfully