METHODS FOR NON-INTRUSIVELY DETERMINING INDICATIONS OF WHOLESOMENESS OF ITEMS OF PACKAGED ALIMENT
First Claim
1. A method for performing a non-intrusive determination of an indication of wholesomeness of a particular unopened item of packaged aliment, the method comprising:
- illuminating the particular unopened item of packaged aliment with electromagnetic energy at a plurality of different wavelengths through a transparent portion of packaging of the particular unopened item of packaged aliment to cause the electromagnetic energy to interact with the packaged aliment;
obtaining spectral information regarding the interaction of the plurality of different wavelengths with the particular unopened item of packaged aliment as subsequent spectral information based on the illuminating;
examining a portion of the packaging of the particular unopened item of packaged aliment to identify an identity code that is uniquely associated with the particular unopened item of packaged aliment, the identity code further associated with a particular instance of original spectral information regarding a previous interaction of electromagnetic energy at the plurality of different wavelengths with the particular unopened item of packaged aliment;
obtaining the particular instance of original spectral information based on processing the identity code; and
determining an indication of a degree of wholesomeness of the particular unopened item of packaged aliment based on a determination of a spectral deviation between the particular instance of original spectral information and the subsequent spectral information, the determination of the spectral deviation based on application of an empirical relationship to the spectral deviation, the empirical relationship includes an association of values of spectral deviation with degrees of wholesomeness of unopened items of packaged aliment.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A non-intrusive method for determining an indication of wholesomeness of an unopened item of packaged aliment comprising the steps of illuminating an unopened item of packaged aliment with electromagnetic energy at a plurality of different wavelengths through a suitably transparent region of the packaging so as to interact with the packaged aliment; obtaining spectral information regarding the interaction of the plurality of different wavelengths with the packaged aliment as subsequent spectral information; interrogating the packaging to access original spectral information regarding a previous interaction of the plurality of wavelengths with the same unopened item of packaged aliment and associated with the packaging; comparing some or all of the subsequent spectral information with some or all of the original spectral information to obtain a measure of their spectral deviation; and determining an indication of wholesomeness of the unopened item of packaged aliment in dependence of the obtained measure of spectral deviation.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A method for performing a non-intrusive determination of an indication of wholesomeness of a particular unopened item of packaged aliment, the method comprising:
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illuminating the particular unopened item of packaged aliment with electromagnetic energy at a plurality of different wavelengths through a transparent portion of packaging of the particular unopened item of packaged aliment to cause the electromagnetic energy to interact with the packaged aliment; obtaining spectral information regarding the interaction of the plurality of different wavelengths with the particular unopened item of packaged aliment as subsequent spectral information based on the illuminating; examining a portion of the packaging of the particular unopened item of packaged aliment to identify an identity code that is uniquely associated with the particular unopened item of packaged aliment, the identity code further associated with a particular instance of original spectral information regarding a previous interaction of electromagnetic energy at the plurality of different wavelengths with the particular unopened item of packaged aliment; obtaining the particular instance of original spectral information based on processing the identity code; and determining an indication of a degree of wholesomeness of the particular unopened item of packaged aliment based on a determination of a spectral deviation between the particular instance of original spectral information and the subsequent spectral information, the determination of the spectral deviation based on application of an empirical relationship to the spectral deviation, the empirical relationship includes an association of values of spectral deviation with degrees of wholesomeness of unopened items of packaged aliment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification