Systems and methods of use for commodities analysis, collection, resource-allocation, and tracking

• US 10,168,693 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2017
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BEXT Holdings, Inc.
• Original Assignee: BEXT Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Kingston, Dean Michael, Jones, Daniel Paul, Kashiwa, Corey Baker
• Primary Examiner(s): Nicholson, III, Leslie A
• Application Number:
  US15/703,167
• Publication Number:
  US 20180071789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: 700223
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/342 according to optical properties, e.g. colour according to radiation transmittivity B07C5/3416
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/3422 using video scanning devices, e.g. TV-cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/363 by means of air
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/38 Collecting or arranging articles in groups
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41875 characterised by quality surveillance of production
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32194 Quality prediction
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32204 Performance assurance; assure certain level of non-defective products
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06395 Quality analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/22 Payment schemes or models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30128 Food products
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0004 Industrial image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0643 Hash functions, e.g. MD5, SHA, HMAC or f9 MAC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 : Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

The disclosure provides systems and methods of use in the analysis, collection, resource allocation, and tracking associated with the sale of commodities. Embodiments include a vibratory-and-optical analysis and collection system that may be incorporated into a collection and storage machine. The analysis and collection system and/or the collection and storage machine may be associated with a consumption-based resource-allocation system that determines a payment price for a batch of commodity sold and then digitally allocates all transaction resources to the relevant stakeholders to the commodity sales transaction occurring at the analysis and collection system and/or the collection and storage machine. A commodity-to-consumer tracking system may be provided to track the batch of commodity sold from the point of harvest and sale through to the end consumer. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A commodity analysis, collection, and storage machine for a batch of commodity particles, comprising:

an outer shell;

an analysis system disposed within the outer shell, the analysis system comprising a vibratory assembly and an imaging assembly communicatively coupled with an analysis processor for executing an analysis and collection module to, based on data collected from the vibratory assembly and the imaging assembly, determine a number of analysis attributes associated with each of the commodity particles and, based on the number of the analysis attributes, optically sort the batch of the commodity particles into acceptable particles and defective particles;

a collection system disposed within the outer shell and adjacent to the analysis system, the collection system comprising a weigh hopper supported by a weigh scale lift assembly, the collection system configured to collect the acceptable particles from the analysis system in the weigh hopper and measure a total weight of the acceptable particles collected within the weigh hopper;

a bulk storage container disposed within the outer shell and adjacent to the collection system, the bulk storage container configured to receive the acceptable particles from the collection system; and

a display system having a graphical user interface configured to facilitate user operation of the commodity analysis, collection, and storage machine.

2. The commodity analysis, collection, and storage machine of claim 1, further comprising:

an array of air jet nozzles positioned at an outlet of the analysis system, wherein a select one of the air jet nozzles activates to divert each of the defective particles from the analysis system into a first reject chute; and

a good product chute, wherein the good product chute is positioned at an outlet of the analysis system such that the acceptable particles fall directly from the analysis system into the good product chute and are gravity fed into the weigh hopper of the collection system.

3. The commodity analysis, collection, and storage machine of claim 2, further comprising:

a second reject chute; and

a return chute protruding through the outer shell to an external environment, the second reject chute positioned to receive the defective particles from the first reject chute and gravity feed the defective particles to the return chute, wherein the return chute gravity feeds the defective particles to the external environment.

4. The commodity analysis, collection, and storage machine of claim 1, wherein:

the vibratory assembly comprises a vibratory plate having a proximal end in receipt of a stream of the commodity particles and a distal end, the vibratory plate configured to repeatedly apply a vibratory force to the stream of the commodity particles to translate each of the commodity particles proximally-to-distally through incremental displacements of each of the commodity particles in response to each application of the vibratory force; and

the imaging assembly comprises an overhead imaging assembly having a first camera positioned to view a first image-capture zone located on a top surface of the vibratory plate and an imaging box assembly having a distally-facing second camera and a proximally-facing third camera, the distally-facing second camera and the proximally-facing third camera positioned to view a second image-capture zone located below the distal end of the vibratory plate.

5. The commodity analysis, collection, and storage machine of claim 4, wherein the number of the analysis attributes includes one or more of a volume of each of the commodity particles, a mass of each of the commodity particles, a density of each of the commodity particles, a color of each of the commodity particles, a color consistency of each of the commodity particles, a shape of each of the commodity particles, a shape consistency of each of the commodity particles, a presence of one or more extrinsic defects associated with each of the commodity particles, and a presence of one or more intrinsic defects associated with each of the commodity particles.

6. The commodity analysis, collection, and storage machine of claim 1, wherein the analysis system further includes an x-y-z gantry sample collection system configured to collect a particle sample from the weigh hopper, the x-y-z gantry sample collection system comprising:

a first x-y linear rail affixed above the weigh hopper;

a second x-y linear rail affixed above the weight hopper, the second x-y linear rail disposed perpendicular to the first x-y linear rail; and

a z-axis sample collector configured to traverse a length of the first x-y linear rail and a length of the second x-y linear rail, the z-axis sample collector having an auger configured to descend into the weigh hopper to collect the particle sample from the weigh hopper.

7. The commodity analysis, collection, and storage machine of claim 6, further comprising an analysis pod disposed adjacent to the x-y-z gantry sample collection system, comprising:

a base plate having a varying thickness; and

a rotating indexing plate disposed above the base plate, the indexing plate defining a number of analysis stations, each of the analysis stations configured to receive the particle sample from the x-y-z gantry sample collection system and forming a positioning cup having a sidewall and a spring-loaded base, wherein when the indexing plate rotates relative to the base plate, the spring-loaded base moves vertically relative to the sidewall such that the particle sample is retained within or discharged from the positioning cup.

8. The commodity analysis, collection, and storage machine of claim 7, wherein the number of the analysis stations comprise one or more of a cutting station, an imaging station, a washing station, and a discharge station.

9. The commodity analysis, collection, and storage machine of claim 1, wherein the commodity analysis, collection, and storage machine is portable.

10. The commodity analysis, collection, and storage machine of claim 1, wherein the batch of the commodity particles comprises a batch of coffee cherries.

11. A machine for processing a batch of commodity particles pursuant to a sales transaction for the batch of the commodity particles, comprising:

a weather-proof shell, the weather-proof shell comprising a locking access door;

two analysis and collection systems disposed adjacent to one another within the weather-proof shell, each of the analysis and collection systems comprising;

an analysis system configured to receive the batch of the commodity particles, analyze each of the commodity particles, and optically sort each of the commodity particles according to whether the particle is an acceptable particle or a defective particle;

a collection system comprising a weigh hopper supported by a weigh hopper mount disposed above a weigh scale lift assembly; and

a good product chute positioned at an outlet of the analysis system, the good product chute positioned to gravity feed the acceptable particles from the analysis system to the weigh hopper of the collection system, wherein the weigh scale lift assembly is configured to lift a weigh scale until the weigh hopper is supported upon the weigh scale such that the weigh scale registers a total weight of the acceptable particles within the weigh hopper;

a bulk storage container disposed adjacent the two analysis and collection systems and within the weather-proof shell; and

a material collection chute configured to gravity feed the acceptable particles from the weigh hopper into the bulk storage container.

12. The machine of claim 11, the analysis system comprising:

a vibratory assembly including a vibratory input feeder coupled with a vibratory plate having a proximal end and a distal end;

a material hopper positioned to feed the batch of the commodity particles to the proximal end of the vibratory plate, the vibratory input feeder configured to repeatedly generate a vibratory force that is applied by the vibratory plate to each of the commodity particles exiting the material feeder onto the proximal end of the vibratory plate, causing the commodity particles to translate proximally-to-distally across the vibratory plate;

at least two camera assemblies configured to capture at least first and second image sets of each of the commodity particles; and

an analysis processor configured to execute an analysis and collection module to determine a number of analysis attributes associated with each of the commodity particles based on the vibratory force applied by the vibratory plate to each of the commodity particles and the at least the first and the second image sets.

13. The machine of claim 12, further comprising a resource-allocation system including an allocation non-transitory computer readable medium and an allocation processor configured for:

receiving, from the analysis system, the number of the analysis attributes associated with each of the commodity particles;

receiving, from the collection system, the total weight of the acceptable particles;

storing a transaction record associated with the sales transaction for the batch of the material particles, the transaction record including transaction data based on the number of the analysis attributes and the total weight, stakeholder data including a number of stakeholders to the sales transaction, and resource-allocation data including a payment structure that applies to the sales transaction;

determining, based upon the transaction data associated with the batch of the material particles, the payment price for the batch of the material particles;

collecting the payment price; and

automatically distributing the payment price amongst the number of the stakeholders to the transaction according to the payment structure.

14. The machine of claim 12, further comprising a commodity-to-consumer tracking system, comprising:

a tracking non-transitory computer readable medium for storing a set of analysis and collection data, a set of harvest data, a set of transaction-allocation data, and a set of downstream supply chain data;

an electronic tracking tag for association with the batch of the commodity particles, the electronic tracking tag configured to store a unique tracking identifier that maps to the set of the analysis and collection data, the set of the harvest data, the set of the transaction data, and the set of the downstream supply chain data stored in the tracking non-transitory computer readable medium; and

a tracking processor that is configured to;

generate the unique tracking identifier;

update the set of the analysis and collection data, the set of the harvest data, the set of the transaction data, and the set of the downstream supply chain data after each step in a supply chain for the batch of the commodity particles; and

update the unique tracking identifier after each step in the supply chain for the batch of the commodity particles.

15. The machine of claim 12, further comprising a display system associated with each of the analysis and collection systems, the display system having a graphical user interface external to the weather-proof shell and configured for user interaction with an associated one of the analysis and collection systems.

16. A method of transacting a sale for a batch of commodity particles using an analysis, collection, and storage machine comprising a weather-proof shell that contains an analysis system having a vibratory assembly and one or more imaging assemblies communicatively coupled with an analysis processor, a collection system having a weigh hopper suspended above a weigh scale of a weigh scale lift assembly, and a storage system adjacent to the collection system, the method comprising:

receiving, within a material hopper of the analysis system, the batch of the commodity particles;

feeding the batch of the commodity particles from the material hopper to the vibratory assembly;

applying, via the vibratory assembly, a repetitive vibrational force to each of the commodity particles;

recording, via the one or more of the imaging assemblies, a volume of each of the commodity particles and a response of each of the commodity particles to the repetitive vibrational force;

determining, by the analysis processor and based on the volume and the response to the repetitive vibrational force of each of the commodity particles, a number of analysis attributes associated with each of the commodity particles;

determining, by the analysis processor and based on the number of the analysis attributes associated with each of the commodity particles, whether each of the commodity particles is an acceptable particle or a defective particle;

gravitationally passing, via a good product chute, each of the acceptable particles to the weigh hopper of the collection system;

raising the weigh scale lift assembly until the weigh hopper is isolated on the weigh scale;

determining, using the weigh scale, a total weight of the acceptable particles; and

gravitationally passing, via a material collection chute, the acceptable particles to the storage system.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the number of the analysis attributes includes one or more of a mass of each of the commodity particles, a density of each of the commodity particles, a color of each of the commodity particles, a color consistency of each of the commodity particles, a shape of each of the commodity particles, a shape consistency of each of the commodity particles, a presence of one or more extrinsic defects associated with each of the commodity particles, and a presence of one or more intrinsic defects associated with each of the commodity particles.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

activating an aligned one of a number of air jet nozzles to divert each of the defective particles to a first reject chute; and

passing, via a return chute, each of the defective particles out of the weather-proof shell.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining, by a resource-allocation system having an allocation non-transitory computer readable medium and an allocation processor, a payment price for the batch of the commodity particles based on the number of the analysis attributes of each of the acceptable particles and the total weight of the acceptable particles.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising distributing, by the allocation processor, the payment price amongst a number of stakeholders to the sale for the batch of the commodity particles.