Sorting and inspection apparatus and method
First Claim
1. In a bottle sorting system, the improvement comprisingvideo camera means for receiving at least one two-dimensional image of at least a visually distinctive portion of a target bottle within the field of view of said video camera and for providing a video signal in response theretodigitizing means coupled to said camera means for providing a first plurality of digital signals responsive to said video signal, each said digital signal summarizing, in digital form, the features of a respective portion of the target bottlestorage means for storing second pluarlities of digital signals, each of said digital signals within one of said second pluralities of digital signals summarizing, in digital form, the features of a respective portion of a bottle of one of the predetermined types of bottle to be sorted;
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Sorting and inspection apparatus and methods which may be used for the identification and separation of articles of different characteristics, or the inspection of articles of similar characteristics to reject those of below minimum standards. A typical system will include a transport system for individually transporting the articles past a television camera so that the camera may view the distinctive portions of the articles to be sorted or the area of the articles to be inspected. The output of the television camera is digitized based upon the number of transitions of light to dark (or dark to light) in the scan lines. A correlator then performs a specialized correlation between the digitized image and various previously digitized images representing the different items being sorted or inspected, to determine which of the previously stored images best correlates with the digitized image from the television camera. A second correlation may be done using a different correlation technique, if desired, to make the final decision based upon the extent of differences between the prestored digitized images and the digitized image from the television camera. The prestored digitized images may be initially created or stored by placing an article with the characteristic to be recognized in front of the television camera and then recording the digitized image. Many refinements and alternate embodiments are disclosed.
97 Citations
39 Claims
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1. In a bottle sorting system, the improvement comprising
video camera means for receiving at least one two-dimensional image of at least a visually distinctive portion of a target bottle within the field of view of said video camera and for providing a video signal in response thereto digitizing means coupled to said camera means for providing a first plurality of digital signals responsive to said video signal, each said digital signal summarizing, in digital form, the features of a respective portion of the target bottle storage means for storing second pluarlities of digital signals, each of said digital signals within one of said second pluralities of digital signals summarizing, in digital form, the features of a respective portion of a bottle of one of the predetermined types of bottle to be sorted; - and
correlation means for correlating said first plurality of digital signals with each of said second plurality of digital signals to identify which of said predetermined types of bottles the target bottle most closely correlates. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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18. Inspection apparatus comprising
video camera means for receiving a two-dimensional an image of at least the portion of an article to be inspected within the field of view of said video camera and for providing a raster scan video signal in response thereto digitizing means coupled to said camera means for providing a first plurality of digitized signals responsive to the said raster scan video signal, each digital signal summarizing, in digital form, the characteristic of a respective portion of the raster scan of the image of the article to be inspected storage means for storing a second plurality of digital signals, each of said digital signals within said second plurality of digital signals summarizing, in digital form, the features of a respective portion of the raster scan of an image of a preselected article having the specific characteristic to be inspected for; - and
correlation means for correlating said first plurality of digital signals with said second plurality of digital signals to determine the similarity in the article being inspected and the preselected article. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of inspecting articles comprising the steps of
(a) storing a first plurality of digital signals, each representing a summary of the features of the raster scan of an item to be inspected for (b) placing the article to be inspected in view of a video camera to obtain a raster scan video signal responsive to the image of at least part of the article to be inspected (c) digitizing the video signal to provide a second plurality of digital signals, each representing a summary of features of the article to be inspected as represented by a portion of the raster scan, and (d) correlating the digital signals of step (a) and step (c) to determine the similarities thereof.
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37. In a bottle sorting system, the improvement comprising
video camera means for receiving an image of at least a visually distinctive portion of a target bottle within the field of view of said video camera and for providing a video signal in response thereto digitizing means coupled to said camera means for providing a first plurality of digitized signals responsive to said video signal, each digital signal summarizing, in digital form, the features of a respective portion of the target bottle storage means for storing second pluralities of digital signals, each of said digital signals within one of said second pluralities of digital signals summarizing, in digital form, the features of a respective portion of a bottle of one of the predetermined types of bottle to be sorted correlation means for correlating said first plurality of digital signals with each of said plurality of digital signals to identify which of said predetermined types of bottles the target bottle most closely correlates means for determining the margin in correlations between the correlation obtained between a target bottle and a first predetermined type of bottle with which the digital signals best correlate, and the correlation obtained between the target bottle and a second predetermined type of bottle with which the digitized signals next best correlate, and second correlation means for correlating said first plurality of digital signals with each of said second plurality of digital signals for said first and second predetermined types of bottles utilizing a correlation technique differing from the correlation technique used in the first correlation when the margin in correlation is less than a predetermined amount.
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38. In a bottle sorting system, the improvement comprising
video camera means for receiving an image of at least a visually distinctive portion of a target bottle within the field of view of said video camera and for providing a video signal in response thereto digitizing means coupled to said camera means for providing a first plurality of digitized signals responsive to said video signal, each digital signal summarizing, in digital form, the features of a respective portion of the target bottle storage means for storing second pluralities of digital signals, each of said digital signals within one of said second pluralities of digital signals summarizing, in digital form, the features of a respective portion of a bottle of one of the predetermined types of bottle to be sorted; - and
correlation means for correlating said first plurality of digital signals with each of said second plurality of digital signals to identify which of said predetermined types of bottles the target bottle most closely correlates, said correlation means further including precessing means for correlating said first and second pluralities of digital signals with various amounts of precess to accommodate locational differences in the article being inspected and each predetermined type of bottle.
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39. Inspection apparatus comprising
video camera means for receiving an image of at least the portion of an article to be inspected within the field of view of said video camera and for providing a raster scan video signal in response thereto digitizing means coupled to said camera means for providing a first plurality of digitized signals responsive to the said raster scan video signal, each digital signal summarizing, in digital form, the characteristic of a respective portion of the raster scan of the image of the article to be inspected storage means for storing a second plurality of digital signals, each of said digital signals within said second plurality of digital signals summarizing, in digital form, the features of a respective portion of the raster scan of an image of a preselected article having the specific characteristic to be inspected for correlation means for correlating said first plurality of digital signals with said second plurality of digital signals to determine the similarity in the article being inspected and the preselected article, said correlation means further including precessing means for correlating said first and second pluralities of digital signals with various amount of precess to accommodate locational differences in the article being inspected and the preselected article.
Specification