Measurement device and measurement method for measuring internal quality of fruit or vegetable

• US 6,334,092 B1
• Filed: 05/21/1999
• Issued: 12/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsui Kinzoku Instrumentations Technology Corporation (Mitsui Mining and Smelting Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Mitsui Mining and Smelting Company Limited
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Hirotsugu, Aoki, Toyohiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TSAI, CAROL S W
• Application Number:
  US09/316,070
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 702/19, 702/22, 702/27, 702/28, 702/30-32, 702/75-77, 702/80, 702/81-84, 702/85, 702/106, 702/108, 702/183, 702/189, 702/FOR.103, 702/104, 702/107, 702/115-118, 702/131, 702/132, 702/134, 702/135, 702/137, 702/156-173, 702/170, 702/171, 250/222.1, 250/223.R, 250/559.24, 382/110, 382/17, 382/18, 382/165, 382/142, 382/143, 382/164, 358/106, 358/107, 356/425, 356/407, 356/237, 356/394, 356/398, 356/384, 356/385, 356/386, 356/387, 209/555, 209/546, 209/551, 209/576, 209/577, 209/580, 209/581, 209/582, 209/585-587, 209/939, 209/558, 209/539
• US Class Current: 702/81
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/27 using photo-electric detection G01N21/31 takes precedence; circuits for computing concentration logarithmic circuits G06G7/24; photometric circuits in general G01J

Abstract

A measurement device for measuring an internal quality of a fruit or vegetable with light is intended to be able to obtain the internal quality at higher speed and with accuracy. In the measurement device of the internal quality, transmitted light through the fruit or vegetable is split into a plurality of frequency regions and the measurement device is provided with a plurality of processing circuits for carrying out intensity data calculating operations simultaneously and in parallel for the respective frequency regions.

Claims

1. A measurement device for measuring an internal quality of a fruit or vegetable, which includes:

conveying means for conveying the fruit or vegetable in a predetermined direction;

light projecting means for projecting light having a predetermined frequency region toward the fruit or vegetable under conveyance; and

light receiving means for receiving said light having the predetermined frequency region, having been transmitted by the fruit or vegetable;

said measurement device comprising;

frequency region splitting means for splitting the light having the predetermined frequency region, having been transmitted by the fruit or vegetable continuously conveyed on said conveying means, into a predetermined number of frequency regions to guide the light to said light receiving means; and

a signal processing circuit for converting the transmitted light split into said predetermined number of frequency regions to electric signals at intervals of a predetermined time, integrating the electric signals to convert the signals to intensity data, and converting the intensity data obtained at the intervals of the predetermined time to signals for evaluating the internal quality of the fruit or vegetable,

wherein said signal processing circuit converts the transmitted light split into the predetermined number of frequency regions to the electric signals substantially simultaneously.

2. A measurement device according to claim 1, wherein said signal processing circuit converts the predetermined number of electric signals to the predetermined number of intensity data simultaneously.

3. A measurement device according to claim 2, wherein said light receiving means includes photoelectric conversion elements.

4. A measurement device according to claim 1, wherein said signal processing circuit converts the predetermined number of electric signals to the predetermined number of intensity data after execution of a multiplexing operation.

5. A measurement device according to claim 1, wherein said light receiving means includes a sensor array comprised of light receiving elements of a charge storage type.

6. A measurement device according to one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising:

a first memory circuit for storing the predetermined number of intensity data obtained continuously at the intervals of the predetermined time;

a determination circuit for successively comparing the intensity data stored in said first memory circuit to determine whether the intensity data is to be used as a signal for evaluation; and

a correction circuit for correcting the intensity data determined as a signal not used for evaluation by said determination circuit, with another intensity data stored in said first memory circuit,

wherein said signal processing circuit uses the intensity data stored in said first memory circuit and determined as a signal for evaluation by said determination circuit and the intensity data corrected by said correction circuit, as signals for evaluating the internal quality of the fruit or vegetable.

7. A measurement device according to claim 6, wherein the intervals of the predetermined time are not more than 1 msec.

8. A measurement device according to one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising:

diameter measuring means for measuring a diameter of the fruit or vegetable; and

a number-of-conversions altering circuit for altering the number of conversions from the transmitted light to the intensity data in said signal processing circuit, according to a result of measurement by said diameter measuring means.

9. A measurement device according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said light having the predetermined frequency region is comprised of parallel light and said light receiving means comprises a shield cylinder which is coaxial with said parallel light and which has one open end in contact with said light receiving means and the other open end as close to the fruit or vegetable as possible.

10. A measurement device according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said signal processing circuit comprises:

a plurality of amplifying circuits having different amplification factors according to each electric signal, said amplifying circuits being used for converting the electric signal to the intensity data; and

a selection circuit for selecting intensity data amplified within a predetermined range out of a plurality of intensity data obtained using said plurality of amplifying circuits.

11. A measurement device according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said signal processing circuit has a comparing circuit for determining whether the electric signal is greater than a predetermined voltage value, and an electric signal switching circuit for applying the electric signal to conversion to the intensity data when the electric signal is smaller than the predetermined voltage value and for applying a predetermined reference electric signal to the conversion to the intensity data when the electric signal is greater than the predetermined voltage value.

12. A measurement device according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said signal processing circuit has a comparing circuit for determining whether the electric signal is greater than a predetermined voltage value, and an initializing circuit for applying the electric signal to conversion to the intensity data when the electric signal is smaller than the predetermined voltage value and for stopping the conversion to the intensity data to initialize the signal processing circuit when the electric signal is greater than the predetermined voltage value.

13. A measurement device according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said signal processing circuit further comprises:

diameter measuring means for measuring a diameter of the fruit or vegetable, based on the intensity data corresponding to the electric signal, under a decision that the light receiving means is receiving the transmitted light when the electric signal is smaller than a predetermined voltage value; and

a number-of-conversions altering circuit for altering the number of conversions from the transmitted light to the intensity data in said signal processing circuit, according to a result of measurement by said diameter measuring means.

31. A measurement device according to claim 4, wherein said light receiving means includes a sensor array comprised of light receiving elements of a charge storage type.

14. A measurement device for measuring an internal quality of a fruit or vegetable, which includes:

conveying means for conveying the fruit or vegetable in a predetermined direction;

light projecting means for projecting light having a predetermined frequency region toward the fruit or vegetable under conveyance; and

light receiving means for receiving said light having the predetermined frequency region, having been transmitted by the fruit or vegetable;

said measurement device comprising;

a signal processing circuit for converting the transmitted light received to electric signals at intervals of a predetermined time, integrating the electric signals to convert the electric signals to intensity data, and converting the intensity data obtained at the intervals of the predetermined time to signals for evaluating the internal quality of the fruit or vegetable;

a first memory circuit for storing the predetermined number of intensity data obtained continuously at the intervals of the predetermined time;

a determination circuit for successively comparing the intensity data stored in said first memory circuit to determine whether the intensity data is to be used as a signal for evaluation; and

a correction circuit for correcting the intensity data determined as a signal not used for evaluation by said determination circuit, using another intensity data stored in said first memory circuit,

wherein said signal processing circuit uses the intensity data stored in said first memory circuit and determined as a signal for evaluation by said determination circuit and the intensity data corrected by said correction circuit, as signals for evaluating the internal quality of the fruit or vegetable.

15. A measurement device according to claim 14, wherein the intervals of the predetermined time are not more than 1 msec.

16. A measurement device according to claim 14 or 15, further comprising:

diameter measuring means for measuring a diameter of the fruit or vegetable; and

a number-of-conversions altering circuit for altering the number of conversions from the transmitted light to the intensity data in said signal processing circuit, according to a result of measurement by said diameter measuring means.

17. A measurement device according to claim 14 or 15, wherein said light having the predetermined frequency region is comprised of parallel light and said light receiving means comprises a shield cylinder which is coaxial with said parallel light and which has one open end in contact with said light receiving means and the other open end as close to the fruit or vegetable as possible.

18. A measurement device for measuring an internal quality of a fruit or vegetable, which includes:

conveying means for conveying the fruit or vegetable in a predetermined direction;

light projecting means for projecting light having a predetermined frequency region toward the fruit or vegetable under conveyance; and

light receiving means for receiving said light having the predetermined frequency region, having been transmitted by the fruit or vegetable;

wherein with the light having said predetermined frequency region, which has been transmitted by the fruit or vegetable conveyed continuously on said conveying means, a signal processing circuit converts the transmitted light received to electric signals at intervals of a predetermined time, integrates the electric signals to convert the electric signals to intensity data, and converts the intensity data obtained at the intervals of the predetermined time to signals for evaluating the internal quality of the fruit or vegetable,

said signal processing circuit comprising;

a plurality of amplifying circuits having different amplification factors according to each electric signal, said amplifying circuits being used for converting the electric signal to the intensity data; and

a selection circuit for selecting intensity data amplified within a predetermined range out of a plurality of intensity data obtained using said plurality of amplifying circuits.

19. A measurement device according to claim 18, wherein said predetermined range is determined based on the intensity data obtained from the transmitted light of a reference wavelength in said predetermined frequency region.

20. A measurement device for measuring an internal quality of a fruit or vegetable, which includes:

conveying means for conveying the fruit or vegetable in a predetermined direction;

light projecting means for projecting light having a predetermined frequency region toward the fruit or vegetable under conveyance; and

light receiving means for receiving said light having the predetermined frequency region, having been transmitted by the fruit or vegetable;

said measurement device comprising;

a signal processing circuit for converting the light having the predetermined frequency region, which has been transmitted by the fruit or vegetable conveyed continuously on said conveying means, to electric signals at intervals of a predetermined time, integrating the electric signals to convert the electric signals to intensity data, and converting the intensity data at the intervals of the predetermined time to signals for evaluating the internal quality of the fruit or vegetable,

wherein said signal processing circuit comprises a comparing circuit for determining whether the electric signal is greater than a predetermined voltage value, and an electric signal switching circuit for applying the electric signal to conversion to the intensity data when the electric signal is smaller than the predetermined voltage value and for applying a predetermined reference voltage to the conversion to the intensity data when the electric signal is greater than the predetermined voltage value.

21. A measurement device according to claim 20, wherein the light having the predetermined frequency region, which has been transmitted by the fruit or vegetable, is split into a predetermined number of frequency regions by frequency region splitting means and thereafter guided to said light receiving means, and

wherein said signal processing circuit converts plural beams of the transmitted light split into the predetermined number of frequency regions to electric signals substantially simultaneously.

22. A measurement device according to claim 21, wherein said signal processing circuit converts the predetermined number of electric signals to the predetermined number of intensity data simultaneously.

23. A measurement device according to claim 21, wherein said light receiving means includes photoelectric conversion elements.

24. A measurement device according to claim 21, wherein said signal processing circuit converts the predetermined number of electric signals to the predetermined number of intensity data after execution of a multiplexing operation.

25. A measurement device according to claim 21, wherein said light receiving means includes a sensor array comprised of light receiving elements of a charge storage type.

26. A measurement device according to one of claims 20 to 25, further comprising:

a first memory circuit for storing the predetermined number of intensity data obtained continuously at the intervals of the predetermined time;

a determination circuit for successively comparing the intensity data stored in said first memory circuit to determine whether the intensity data is to be used as a signal for evaluation; and

a correction circuit for correcting the intensity data determined as a signal not used for evaluation by said determination circuit, with another intensity data stored in said first memory circuit,

wherein said signal processing circuit uses the intensity data stored in said first memory circuit and determined as a signal for evaluation by said determination circuit and the intensity data corrected by said correction circuit, as signals for evaluation the internal quality of the fruit of vegetable.

27. A measurement device according to claim 26, wherein the intervals of the predetermined time are not more than 1 msec.

28. A measurement device according to one of claims 20 to 25, further comprising:

diameter measuring means for measuring a diameter of the fruit or vegetable; and

a number-of-conversions altering circuit for altering the number of conversions from the transmitted light to the intensity data in said signal processing circuit, according to a result of measurement by said diameter measuring means.

29. A measurement device according to one of claims 20 to 25, wherein said light having the predetermined frequency region is comprised of parallel light and said light receiving means comprises a shield cylinder which is coaxial with said parallel light and which has one open end in contact with said light receiving means and the other open end as close to the fruit or vegetable as possible.

30. A measurement device according to one of claims 20 to 25, wherein said signal processing circuit comprises:

a plurality of amplifying circuits having different amplification factors according to each electric signal, said amplifying circuits being used for converting the electric signal to the intensity data; and

a selection circuit for selecting intensity data amplified within a predetermined range out of a plurality of intensity data obtained using said plurality of amplifying circuits.

32. A measurement device according to claim 22, wherein said light receiving means includes photoelectric conversion elements.

33. A measurement device according to claim 24, wherein said light receiving means includes a sensor array comprised of light receiving elements of a charge storage type.

34. A measurement device according to claim 26, further comprising:

diameter measuring means for measuring a diameter of the fruit or vegetable; and

a number-of-conversions altering circuit for altering the number of conversions from the transmitted light to the intensity data in said signal processing circuit, according to a result of measurement by said diameter measuring means.

35. A measurement device according to claim 26, wherein said signal processing circuit comprises:

a plurality of amplifying circuits having different amplification factors according to each electric signal, said amplifying circuits being used for converting the electric signal to the intensity data; and

a selection circuit for selecting the intensity data amplified within a predetermined range out of a plurality of intensity data obtained using said plurality of amplifying circuits.

36. A measurement device according to claim 32 or 33, further comprising:

a first memory circuit for storing the predetermined number of intensity data obtained continuously at the intervals of the predetermined time;

a determination circuit for successively comparing the intensity data stored in said first memory circuit to determine whether the intensity data is to be used as a signal for evaluation; and

a correction circuit for correcting the intensity data determined as a signal not used for evaluation by said determination circuit, with another intensity data stored in said first memory circuit,

wherein said signal processing circuit uses the intensity data stored in said first memory circuit and determined as a signal for evaluation by said determination circuit and the intensity data corrected by said correction circuit, as signals for evaluation the internal quality of the fruit of vegetable.

37. A measurement device according to claim 32 or 33, further comprising:

diameter measuring means for measuring a diameter of the fruit or vegetable; and

a number-of-conversions altering circuit for altering the number of conversions from the transmitted light to the intensity data in said signal processing circuit, according to a result of measurement by said diameter measuring means.

38. A measurement device according to claim 32 or 33, wherein said light having the predetermined frequency region is comprised of parallel light and said light receiving means comprises a shield cylinder which is coaxial with said parallel light and which has one open end in contact with said light receiving means and the other open end as close to the fruit or vegetable as possible.

39. A measurement device according to one of claims 32 and 33, wherein said signal processing circuit comprises:

a plurality of amplifying circuits having different amplification factors according to each electric signal, said amplifying circuits being used for converting the electric signal to the intensity data; and

a selection circuit for selecting intensity data amplified within a predetermined range out of a plurality of intensity data obtained using said plurality of amplifying circuits.