Automated Product Profiling Apparatus and Product Slicing System Using the Same

• US 20120212603A1
• Filed: 10/26/2010
• Published: 08/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Provisur Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Formax Incorporated
• Inventors: Lindee, Scott A., Wolcott, Thomas C., Lamartino, Salvatore, Fox, Gage
• Granted Patent: US 9,285,213 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/89
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 17/0033 Cutting slices out of a piece of meat slicing machines B26D1/143
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 17/0086 Calculating cutting patterns based on visual recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/2522 the position of the object changing and being recorded
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/2545 with one projection direction and several detection directions, e.g. stereo
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 13/00 Weighing apparatus with automatic feed or discharge for weighing-out batches of material for weighing a continuous stream G01G11/00; check-weighing G01G15/00; for fluids G01G17/04; apportioning by weight materials to be mixed G01G19/22; combinatorial weighing G01G19/387
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30128 Food products
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0004 Industrial image inspection
• 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 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

An apparatus for acquiring a profile of a food product for use in subsequent processing of the food product includes a scanning area and one or more product drives for driving a product through the scanning area in a longitudinal direction. First line lasers project one first transverse laser line transversely to the longitudinal direction on the first surface and two first cameras arranged to capture different, overlapping first transverse image portions of the first transverse laser line. A reference laser projects a beam on the first surface that indicates a transverse reference position, and the two first cameras also capture the reference position. A control system uses the transverse reference position to combine the different first transverse image portions captured by the two first cameras to calculate a first profile of the first surface at multiple positions along a length of the first surface as the product is driven through the scanning area.

Claims

1. An apparatus for acquiring a profile of a food product for use in subsequent processing of the food product, comprising:

a scanning area;

one or more product drives for driving a product through the scanning area in a longitudinal direction;

a first vision system for scanning a first surface of the product in the scanning area, the first vision system having at least one first line laser, the first line laser projecting at least one first transverse laser line transversely to the longitudinal direction on the first surface, two first cameras arranged to capture different first transverse image portions of the at least one first transverse laser line, the two first cameras capturing overlapping images, and a reference laser projecting a beam on the first surface that indicates a transverse reference position, the two first cameras capturing the reference position along with the different first transverse image portions; and

a control system for processing the different first transverse image portions, the control system uses the transverse reference position to combine the different first transverse image portions captured by the two first cameras to eliminate overlap in the different first transverse image portions, and to calculate a first profile of the first surface at multiple positions along a length of the first surface as the product is driven through the scanning area.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one first line laser comprises a pair of first line lasers that project overlapping first laser lines onto the first surface, creating the first transverse laser line.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least one first line laser comprises at least one side line laser that projects a side laser line that overlaps with the first transverse laser line.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first vision system further comprises at least one side line laser that projects a side laser line that overlaps with the first transverse laser line.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second vision system for scanning a second surface of the product in the scanning area, opposite the first surface, the second vision system having at least one second line laser, the second line laser projecting at least one second transverse laser line transversely to the longitudinal direction on the second surface, at least one second camera arranged to capture a second transverse image portion of the at least one second transverse laser line;

and

wherein the control system calculates a second profile of the second surface using the second transverse image portion at multiple positions along a length of the second surface as the product is driven through the scanning area and calculates the area between the first and second profiles at said multiple positions.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first surface is an upper surface and the two cameras are angled down and inward toward the reference position from opposite transverse sides of the first surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a third camera between the two cameras.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reference laser projects a reference line in a longitudinal direction on the product and an intersection between the reference line and the first transverse line constitutes the transverse reference position.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second vision system for scanning a second surface of the product in the scanning area, opposite the first surface, the second vision system having at least one second line laser, the second line laser projecting at least one second transverse laser line transversely to the longitudinal direction on the second surface, at least one second camera arranged to capture a second transverse image portion of the at least one second transverse laser line;

and

wherein the at least one first line laser comprises a pair of first line lasers that project overlapping first laser lines onto the first surface, creating the first transverse laser line;

wherein the at least one second line laser comprises a pair of second line lasers that project overlapping second laser lines onto the second surface, creating the second transverse laser line; and

wherein the control system calculates a second profile of the second surface using the second transverse image portion at multiple positions along a length of the second surface as the product is driven through the scanning area and calculates the area between the first and second profiles at said multiple positions.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first surface is a top surface and the second surface is a bottom surface and wherein the first vision system further comprises at least one side line laser that projects a side laser line that overlaps with the first transverse laser line.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the reference laser projects a reference line in a longitudinal direction on the product and an intersection between the reference line and the first transverse line constitutes the transverse reference position.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the control system calculates a volume of the product.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control system calculates a volume of the product.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, comprising a weigh scale for calculating the weight of the product and a slicing machine that slices the product at locations based on the volume and the weight of the product.

15. A food product processing system, comprising a weigh scale for weighing a product, the weigh scale comprising a driven conveying surface for conveying a product onto and off of the weigh scale, the conveying surface supported on a conveyor frame which is supported from a support structure via at least one load cell.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the at least one load cell comprises a pair of load cells arranged horizontally end-to-end and having inner ends connected to the support structure and outer ends connected to the conveyor frame.

17. The system according to claim 16, further comprising:

a product scanner having a product drive for receiving a product from the driven conveying surface of the weigh scale and driving the product through the scanning chamber and first and second vision systems for scanning first and second opposite side profiles of the product;

a staging conveyor which transfers the product from the product drive of the scanner to at least two alternate staging positions;

the staging conveyor having a mechanism to laterally adjust its output to transfer the product to a selected one of the two alternate staging positions.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the staging conveyor comprises

a staging belt that is driven laterally by a linear actuator.

19. A product processing system, comprising:

a scanning area having a product drive for conveying product through

the scanning area to and a first and second vision system for scanning opposite side profiles of a product;

a staging belt for receiving product from the product drive and delivering the product to selectable lateral positions;

a weigh scale arranged to weigh the product; and

a slicer having a lift tray positioned to receive products from the staging belt in two or more lateral positions on the lift tray.

20. The product processing system according to claim 19, comprising a control system that calculates at least one parameter of a product that includes the product surface profile and/or the volume and/or the density of the product and tracks the product to its lateral position on the lift tray and controls the slicer in accordance with the calculated parameters for the particular product in the particular lateral position.

21. (canceled)

22. (canceled)