Sorting grain during harvesting
First Claim
1. A method for segregating qualities of an agricultural product during processing of the product, said method comprising the steps of:
- setting a desired range of a measurement value, which represents a property of the product and defines a first quality of the product for which the measurement value is inside the range and a second quality of the product for which the measurement value is outside the range, analyzing the quality of the product that is being processed, said step of analyzing comprising the steps of continuously extracting samples of the product, irradiating each sample by electromagnetic radiation, spatially separating electromagnetic radiation of different wavelengths, detecting electromagnetic radiation emitted from the sample, said step of detecting producing intensity signals indicative of detected electromagnetic radiation of different wavelengths, determining a sample value of said property of the product from the intensity signals, and determining a measurement value from at least one sample value, and separating the product of said first quality from the product of said second quality.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for segregating qualities of an agricultural product during processing of the product comprises the step of setting a desired range of a measurement value (2). The measurement value represents a property of the product and defines a first quality of the product for which the measurement value is inside the range and a second quality of the product for which the measurement value is outside the range. The method further comprises the step of analyzing (4) the quality of the product that is being processed. The step of analyzing comprises the steps of continuously extracting samples of the product (4a), irradiating each sample by electromagnetic radiation (4d), spatially separating electromagnetic radiation of different wavelengths (4e), and detecting electromagnetic radiation emitted from the sample (4f). The step of detecting produces intensity signals indicative of detected electromagnetic radiation of different wavelengths. The step of analyzing further comprises the steps of determining a sample value of said property of the product from the intensity signals, and determining a measurement value (4g) from at least one sample value. The method further comprises the step of separating the product of said first quality from the product of said second quality on the combine.
26 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method for segregating qualities of an agricultural product during processing of the product, said method comprising the steps of:
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setting a desired range of a measurement value, which represents a property of the product and defines a first quality of the product for which the measurement value is inside the range and a second quality of the product for which the measurement value is outside the range, analyzing the quality of the product that is being processed, said step of analyzing comprising the steps of continuously extracting samples of the product, irradiating each sample by electromagnetic radiation, spatially separating electromagnetic radiation of different wavelengths, detecting electromagnetic radiation emitted from the sample, said step of detecting producing intensity signals indicative of detected electromagnetic radiation of different wavelengths, determining a sample value of said property of the product from the intensity signals, and determining a measurement value from at least one sample value, and separating the product of said first quality from the product of said second quality. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for analyzing the quality of an agricultural product during processing of the product, said method comprising the steps of:
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extracting a sample of the product, feeding the sample to a measurement position, compressing the sample in the measurement position, irradiating the sample by electromagnetic radiation, spatially separating electromagnetic radiation of different wavelengths, detecting electromagnetic radiation emitted from the sample, said step of detecting producing intensity signals indicative of detected electromagnetic radiation of different wavelengths, and determining a measurement value from the intensity signals, which value represents a property of the product.
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15. A measuring instrument for analyzing the quality of an agricultural product, said measuring instrument being arranged on an implement for treatment of the product, thus enabling analysis of the product during the treatment of the product in the implement, said measuring instrument comprising
a measurement unit for measuring at least one property of the product, said measurement unit comprising a sample holder, which is arranged to hold a product sample fixated during analysis, a radiation source, which is arranged to irradiate a product sample in the sample holder with electromagnetic radiation, a wavelength separator for spatially separating electromagnetic radiation of different wavelengths, a detector for detecting electromagnetic radiation that has been transmitted through a product sample in the sample holder, said detector producing intensity signals indicative of detected electromagnetic radiation of different wavelengths, and an analyzer for analyzing the intensity signals and determining a value of the at least one property of the product, and a sample feeding unit, which is arranged to feed a product sample from a process on the implement to the sample holder in the measurement unit.
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40. A measuring instrument for segregating qualities of an agricultural product during harvesting of the product, said instrument being arranged on a combine for harvesting the product, said instrument comprising:
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a measurement unit, which comprises a radiation source for irradiating a product sample by electromagnetic radiation, a wavelength separator for spatially separating electromagnetic radiation of different wavelengths, and a detector for detecting electromagnetic radiation emitted from the product sample, said detector producing intensity signals indicative of detected electromagnetic radiation of different wavelengths, a sample feeding unit for extracting a sample of the product from the combine and feeding the product sample to the measurement unit, and an analyzer for determining a value of a property of the product sample based on the intensity signals, values of said property within a range representing a first quality and values of said property outside said range representing a second quality, said analyzer being arranged to indicate a change in quality of the product that is being harvested, whereby the product of said first quality is separable from the product of said second quality.
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Specification