Classifying and sorting crystalline objects
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Apparatus for sorting crystalline objects, said apparatus comprising:
- image means for creating an image of a crystalline object viewed from a defined angle, said image comprising a set of polygonal outlines including a first polygonal outline corresponding to the representation of the silhouette of said crystalline object in said image and a second polygonal outline corresponding to the representation of the shape of a crystalline face of said crystalline object in said image;
comparison means for comparing said set of polygonal outlines of said image to (a) at least one template derived from a set of reference polygons including a first reference polygon corresponding to a silhouette of a reference crystal and a second reference polygon corresponding to the shape of a crystalline face of said reference crystal within said silhouette, wherein said template can be varied in position, size, and shape by changing the values of at least one parameter, and (b) at least one set of parameter values for said at least one template, for varying the position, size, and shape of said at least one template by changing the values of said at least one parameter, and for selecting at least one combination of a template and a set of parameter values corresponding to said image;
output means for indicating at least one parameter value selected by said comparison means; and
sorting means for sorting the crystalline object to one of a plurality of destinations dependent upon at least one parameter value selected by said comparison means.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method of classifying and sorting by shape crystalline objects such as synthetic diamonds in which an image of the object taken from an angle defined in relation to the object is compared to one or more templates in order to characterize the object.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. Apparatus for sorting crystalline objects, said apparatus comprising:
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image means for creating an image of a crystalline object viewed from a defined angle, said image comprising a set of polygonal outlines including a first polygonal outline corresponding to the representation of the silhouette of said crystalline object in said image and a second polygonal outline corresponding to the representation of the shape of a crystalline face of said crystalline object in said image; comparison means for comparing said set of polygonal outlines of said image to (a) at least one template derived from a set of reference polygons including a first reference polygon corresponding to a silhouette of a reference crystal and a second reference polygon corresponding to the shape of a crystalline face of said reference crystal within said silhouette, wherein said template can be varied in position, size, and shape by changing the values of at least one parameter, and (b) at least one set of parameter values for said at least one template, for varying the position, size, and shape of said at least one template by changing the values of said at least one parameter, and for selecting at least one combination of a template and a set of parameter values corresponding to said image; output means for indicating at least one parameter value selected by said comparison means; and sorting means for sorting the crystalline object to one of a plurality of destinations dependent upon at least one parameter value selected by said comparison means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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4. Apparatus for sorting crystalline objects, said apparatus comprising:
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image means for creating an image of a crystalline object viewed from a defined angle, said image comprising a set of polygonal outlines including a first polygonal outline corresponding to the representation of the silhouette of said crystalline object in said image and a second polygonal outline corresponding to the representation of the shape of a crystalline face of said crystalline object in said image; comparison means for comparing said set of polygonal outlines of said image to (a) at least one template derived from a set of reference polygons including a first reference polygon corresponding to a silhouette of a reference crystal and a second reference polygon corresponding to the shape of a crystalline face of said reference crystal within said silhouette, wherein said template can be varied in position, size, and shape by changing the values of at least one parameter, and (b) at least one set of parameter values for said at least one template;
varying the position, size, and shape of said at least one template by changing the values of said at least one parameter; and
selecting at least one combination of a template and a set of parameter values corresponding to said image;sorting means for sorting the crystalline object to one of a plurality of destinations dependent upon at least one parameter value selected by said comparison means. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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7. Method of sorting crystalline objects, said method comprising:
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creating an image of a crystalline object viewed from a defined angle, said image comprising a set of polygonal outlines including a first polygonal outline corresponding to the representation of the silhouette of said crystalline object in said image and a second polygonal outline corresponding to the representation of the shape of a crystalline face of said crystalline object in said image; comparing said set of polygonal outlines of said image to (a) at least one template derived from a set of reference polygons including a first reference polygon corresponding to a silhouette of a reference crystal and a second reference polygon corresponding to the shape of a crystalline face of said reference crystal within said silhouette, wherein said at least one template can be varied in position, size, and shape by changing the values of at least one parameter, and (b) at least one set of parameter values for said at least one template; varying the position, size, and shape of said at least one template by changing the values of said at least one parameter; selecting at least one combination of a template and a set of parameter values corresponding to said image; indicating at least one selected parameter value; and sorting the crystalline object to one of a plurality of destinations dependent upon at least one parameter value selected by said comparison means. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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10. Method of sorting crystalline objects, said method comprising:
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creating an image of a crystalline object viewed from a defined angle, said image comprising a set of polygonal outlines including a first polygonal outline corresponding to the representation of the silhouette of said crystalline object in said image and a second polygonal outline corresponding to the representation of the shape of a crystalline face of said crystalline object in said image; comparing said set of polygonal outlines of said image to (a) at least one template derived from a set of reference polygons including a first reference polygon corresponding to a silhouette of a reference crystal and a second reference polygon corresponding to the shape of a crystalline face of said reference crystal within said silhouette, wherein said at least one template can be varied in position, size, and shape by changing the values of at least one parameter, and (b) at least one set of parameter values for said at least one template; varying the position, size, and shape of said at least one template by changing the values of said at least one parameter; selecting at least one combination of a template and a set of parameter values corresponding to said image; and sorting the crystalline object to one of a plurality of destinations dependent upon at least one selected parameter value. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. Apparatus for sorting crystalline objects, said apparatus comprising:
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image means for creating an image of a crystalline object viewed from a defined angle, said image comprising a set of polygonal outlines including a first polygonal outline corresponding to the representation of the silhouette of said crystalline object in said image and a second polygonal outline corresponding to the representation of the shape of a crystalline face of said crystalline object in said image; a plurality of sets of reference polygons, each set corresponding to one of a plurality of possible degrees of asphericity for said crystalline object, and each set including a first reference polygon and a second reference polygon; means for varying the positions, sizes, and shapes of the reference polygons of each of said sets, such that the degree of asphericity of said crystalline object may be determined by comparing said set of polygonal outlines of said image to said sets of reference polygons until a close match to both of said first and second polygonal outlines is found in a single set; means for sorting said crystalline object to one of a plurality of destinations dependent upon the degree of asphericity of said single set of reference polygons.
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30. A method for sorting crystalline objects, said method comprising:
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creating an image of a crystalline object viewed from a defined angle, said image comprising a set of polygonal outlines including a first polygonal outline corresponding to the representation of the silhouette of said crystalline object in said image and a second polygonal outline corresponding to the representation of the shape of a crystalline face of said crystalline object in said image; determining the degree of asphericity of said crystalline object by comparing said set of polygonal outlines of said image to a plurality of sets of reference polygons, each set corresponding to one of a plurality of possible degrees of asphericity for said crystalline object and each set including a first reference polygon and a second reference polygon, and varying the position, size, and shape of each of said sets of reference polygons until a close match to both of said first and second polygonal outlines is found in a single set; and sorting said crystalline object to one of a plurality of destinations dependent upon the degree of asphericity of said single set of reference polygons.
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Specification