SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EGG QUALITY CONTROL

• US 20190331653A1
• Filed: 04/29/2019
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2018
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: ENSSLE, Benjamin D., RORRISON, Shaun R., MCKINNON, Ross A., BRIGHTWELL, David B.
• Application Number:
  US16/397,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20190331653A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 43/06 according to size
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 43/08 according to weight
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/253 for batch operation, i.e. multisample apparatus analytical automats G01N35/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/04 and forming images of the material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/08 Eggs, e.g. by candling
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 9/36 Analysing materials by measuring the density or specific gravity, e.g. determining quantity of moisture methods of measurement in general G01N9/02 - G01N9/32

Abstract

Systems and methods for controlling egg quality are provided. An example method can include: moving a plurality of cartons packed with eggs by a conveyor belt; measuring a weight of each carton to decide whether the weight of each carton is within a carton weight tolerance; detecting a moisture level inside the carton to decide whether the moisture level of the carton is within a moisture level tolerance; determining whether a shell of the egg is intact and a volume of egg yolk and white is within a volume tolerance; detecting a color of each egg in the carton to decide whether the colors of the eggs are consistent; measuring a weight of the egg in the carton to determine whether the weight of the egg is within an egg weight tolerance; and measuring a density of the egg to determine whether the egg is within a density tolerance.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a conveyor belt configured to move a plurality of cartons, each of the plurality of cartons being filled with a number of eggs;

a weight sensor disposed under the conveyor belt and configured to measure a weight of each carton to decide whether the weight of each carton is within a carton weight tolerance;

a moisture sensor disposed along the conveyor belt and configured to detect a moisture level inside the carton to decide whether the moisture level of the carton is within a moisture level tolerance;

an x-ray sensor disposed along the conveyor belt and configured to perform an image analysis of each egg in the carton to determine whether a shell of the egg is intact and a volume of egg yolk and white is within a volume tolerance;

a color sensor disposed along the conveyor belt and configured to detect a color of each egg in the carton to decide whether colors of the eggs in the carton are consistent;

a scale disposed above the conveyor belt and configured to measure a weight of the egg in the carton to determine whether the weight of the egg is within an egg weight tolerance; and

a density sensor disposed along the conveyor belt and configured to measure a density of the egg to determine whether the egg is within a density tolerance.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein performing the image analysis of the egg further comprises detecting a size and a shape of the eggs in the carton and determining whether each egg meets a size and shape tolerance.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an air vacuum suction cup is configured to automatically remove a carton from the conveyor belt when the weight of the carton is not within the weight tolerance.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising an air vacuum suction cup is configured to automatically remove a carton from the conveyor belt when the moisture of the carton is less than a moisture tolerance.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising an air vacuum suction cup is configured to automatically remove an egg from the carton when the shell of the egg in the carton is not intact or a volume of the egg yolk and white is not within the volume tolerance.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising an air vacuum suction cup is configured to s automatically remove an egg from the carton when the egg in the carton does meet a size and shape tolerance.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising an air vacuum suction cup is configured to automatically remove an egg from the carton when the weight of the egg in the carton is detected to be not within a weight tolerance.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising an air vacuum suction cup is configured to automatically remove an egg from the carton when the density of the egg in the carton is determined to be not within the density tolerance.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein each carton is filled with eggs within the weight, size, color, volume, and density tolerances.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a calculating module configured to calculate a percentage of the qualified eggs in a total number of eggs in the plurality of cartons and to determine a number of eggs to be ordered for filling up eggs in an inventory.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving a plurality of cartons at a conveyor belt and moving the cartons along the conveyor belt to a plurality of sensing stations, each of the plurality of cartons being filled with a number of eggs;

measuring, via a weight sensor at a carton weight sensing station, a weight of each carton to decide whether the weight of each carton is within a carton weight tolerance;

detecting, via a moisture sensor at a carton moisture sensing station, a moisture level inside the carton to decide whether the moisture level of the carton is within a moisture level tolerance;

performing, via an x-ray sensor at an egg x-ray sensing station, an image analysis of each egg in the carton to determine whether a shell of the egg is intact and a volume of egg yolk and white is within a volume tolerance;

detecting, via a color sensor at an egg color sensing station, a color of each egg in the carton to decide whether colors of the eggs in the carton are consistent;

measuring, via a scale at an egg weight sensing station, a weight of the egg in the carton to determine whether the weight of the egg is within an egg weight tolerance; and

measuring, via a density sensor at an egg density sensing station, a density of the egg to determine whether the egg is within a density tolerance.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein performing the image analysis of the egg further comprises detecting a size and a shape of the egg in the carton and determining whether the egg meets a size and shape tolerance.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising automatically removing the carton from the conveyor belt when the weight of the carton is not within a carton weight tolerance.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising automatically removing the carton from the conveyor belt when the moisture level of the carton is not within the moisture level tolerance.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising automatically removing the egg from the carton when the shell of the egg in the carton is not intact or a volume of the egg yolk is not within the volume tolerance.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising automatically removing the egg from the carton by an air vacuum suction cup when the weight of the egg in the carton is not within the weight tolerance.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising automatically removing the egg from the carton when the density of the egg in the carton is not within the density tolerance.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

calculating, by a calculating module, a percentage of qualified eggs in a total number of eggs in the plurality of cartons;

determining a number of eggs to be ordered for filling up eggs in an inventory, wherein each of the qualified eggs is within the weight, size, color, volume, and density tolerances;

determining if any of the initially removed eggs meets the weight, size, color, volume and density requirements for other cartons from which an egg was removed; and

placing the initially removed egg in the another carton.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having executed instructions stored which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

moving a plurality of cartons by a conveyor belt, each of the plurality of cartons being filled with a number of eggs;

measuring, via a weight sensor, a weight of each carton to decide whether the weight of each carton is within a carton weight tolerance;

detecting, via a moisture sensor, a moisture level inside the carton to decide whether the moisture level of the carton is within a moisture level tolerance;

performing, via an x-ray sensor, an image analysis of each egg in the carton to determine whether a shell of the egg is intact and a volume of egg yolk and white is within a volume tolerance;

detecting, via a color sensor, a color of each egg in the carton to decide whether colors of the eggs in the carton are consistent;

measuring, via a scale, a weight of the egg in the carton to determine whether the weight of the egg is within an egg weight tolerance, the egg being lifted by an air vacuum suction cup; and

measuring, via a density sensor, a density of the egg to determine whether the egg is within a density tolerance.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein performing the image analysis of the egg further comprises detecting a size and a shape of the egg in the carton and determining whether the egg meets a size and shape tolerance.