METHOD AND DEVICE FOR ANALYZING BERRIES

• US 20100215221A1
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: D Wine
• Original Assignee: Sferis Co.
• Inventors: Larcheveque, Boris, Bernard, Nicolas, Zebic, Olivier Bertrand Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,406,475 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/110
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/8812 Diffuse illumination, e.g. "sky"
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/27 using photo-electric detection G01N21/31 takes precedence; circuits for computing concentration logarithmic circuits G06G7/24; photometric circuits in general G01J
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8806 Specially adapted optical and illumination features
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/951 Balls

Abstract

Method for analyzing berries, characterised in that: berries are arranged on an analysis plate, an image of the berries is recorded, the image consisting of pixels of at least one component of an elementary colour, the contours of the berries are identified, and geometric and/or colorimetric characteristics of the berries are determined. The number of berries can then be determined, or a volume, a surface area, a surface area to volume ratio, and a characteristic concentration for each berry can be determined, in addition to an average, for all of the pixels inside the contour of a defined berry, of the values of a component of an elementary colour of a component of interest. A device for implementing the method is also disclosed. The invention especially relates to viticulture and to the analysis of the maturity of the grape.

Claims

1-40. -40. (canceled)

41. Method for analyzing berries, comprising:

arranging berries on an analysis plate,

an acquisition of an image of the arranged berries, said image of the berries being composed of pixels of at least one elementary colour component,

an identification of contours of the berries, and

a determination of geometric and/or colorimetric characteristics of the berries.

42. Method according to claim 41, characterized in that it also comprises saving at least one of the determined characteristics.

43. Method according to claim 41, characterized in that it also comprises a reiteration of the method according to the invention on a same type of berry, and in that it also comprises a monitoring over time of at least one of the geometric and/or colorimetric characteristics determined on the berries of the same type.

44. Method according to claim 43, characterized in that the berries of the same type originate from a same plot.

45. Method according to claim 43, characterized in that it also comprises a visualisation of a development over time of determined characteristics.

46. Method according to claim 41, characterized in that it also comprises an access to a database comprising at least one result of another analysis of berries obtained using any method.

47. Method according to claim 46, characterized in that the analysis result consists of a concentration.

48. Method according to claim 46, characterized in that it comprises obtaining an item of data by matching at least one of the determined characteristics with the analysis result of berries obtained using any method.

49. Method according to claim 48, characterized in that the determination of characteristics comprises a determination of an average volume of the arranged berries, and in that it comprises obtaining a sugar content by matching the determined volume and a concentration of sugars.

50. Method according to claim 41, characterized in that it also comprises a visualisation of determined characteristics.

51. Method according to claim 41, characterized in that it also comprises a determination of the number of berries in the image of berries.

52. Method according to claim 41, characterized in that the determination of characteristics comprises a determination of a volume per berry.

53. Method according to claim 41, characterized in that the determination of characteristics comprises a determination of a surface area per berry.

54. Method according to claim 41, characterized in that the determination of characteristics comprises a determination of a surface area to volume ratio per berry.

55. Method according to claim 41, characterized in that the determination of characteristics comprises, for each berry and at least one of the elementary colour components or a colour component of interest, a calculation of an average, for all the pixels of the image of berries inside the contour of a berry, of the values of the considered colour component.

56. Method according to claim 55, characterized in that it is applied to white grape berries, and in that the considered colour component is yellow or green, or in that it is applied to red grape berries, and in that the considered colour component is red or black.

57. Method according to claim 55, characterized in that the elementary colour component is situated in the infrared, and in that it also comprises a determination, by infrared spectrophotometry and chemometry, of at least one characteristic concentration per berry.

58. Method according to claim 41, characterized in that the determination of characteristics comprises a calculation of a heterogeneity factor and an average of a determined characteristic for each berry.

59. Method according to claim 41, characterized in that it also comprises a lighting of the berries according to predetermined lighting conditions.

60. Method according to claim 41, characterized in that it also comprises a geometric calibration of the image of the berries.

61. Method according to claim 41, characterized in that it also comprises a correction of the colours of the image of the berries.

62. Method according to claim 41, characterized in that the identification of contours of the berries comprises:

a conversion of the image of the berries to a thresholded image, in which it is possible to distinguish blocks of berries,

a deletion of impurities from the thresholded image, and

a segmentation of the blocks of berries to berries with defined contours.

63. Method according to claim 62, characterized in that the conversion to a thresholded image comprises a thresholding of the image of the berries according to a threshold for a value of an elementary colour component.

64. Method according to claim 62, characterized in that the deletion of impurities comprises a succession of erosions and dilations of the blocks of berries.

65. Method according to claim 62, characterized in that the deletion of impurities comprises an algorithm for filling holes by propagation.

66. Method according to claim 62, characterized in that the segmentation of the blocks of berries comprises:

a conversion of the thresholded image to a grey-scale image,

a thresholding of the grey-scale image by fuzzy logic,

a use of an erosion operator until a centre of gravity for each berry is obtained, and

an expansion around the centres of gravity, until the contours of the berries are obtained.