Method and apparatus for determining a liquid level in a container using imaging
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for determining a level of a sample comprising:
- capturing an image of the sample housed in a container, wherein the image is represented as a two dimensional array of intensities of light;
extracting an area of interest from the image including a bottom of the container;
applying a filter to the area of interest;
horizontally collapsing the filtered area into a one dimensional vertical array based on normalized sums of line elements in the two dimensional array for each vertical unit in the one dimensional vertical array;
masking the one dimensional vertical array;
determining the bottom of the container and a simple-air interface based on the masked one dimensional array;
and determining the level of the sample in the container based on the determined bottom of the container and the sample-air interface.
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Abstract
Methods, systems and apparatus for determining a level of a sample are provided. An image of a sample housed in a container is captured, wherein the image is represented as a two dimensional array of intensities of light. An area of interest is extracted from the image. A filter is applied to the area of interest. The filtered area is collapsed into a one dimensional array. The one dimensional array is masked. The level of the sample in the container is determined based on the masked one dimensional array. Numerous other aspects are provided.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for determining a level of a sample comprising:
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capturing an image of the sample housed in a container, wherein the image is represented as a two dimensional array of intensities of light; extracting an area of interest from the image including a bottom of the container; applying a filter to the area of interest; horizontally collapsing the filtered area into a one dimensional vertical array based on normalized sums of line elements in the two dimensional array for each vertical unit in the one dimensional vertical array; masking the one dimensional vertical array; determining the bottom of the container and a simple-air interface based on the masked one dimensional array; and determining the level of the sample in the container based on the determined bottom of the container and the sample-air interface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system for determining a level of a sample comprising:
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an image capture apparatus adapted to capture the image of the sample in a container, wherein the image is represented as a two dimensional array of intensities of light; and a controller coupled to the image capture apparatus, wherein the controller is adapted to extract an area of interest from the image including a bottom of the container, apply a filter to the area of interest, horizontally collapse the filtered area of interest into a one dimensional vertical array based on normalized sums of line elements in the two dimensional array for each vertical unit in the one dimensional vertical array, apply a mask to the one dimensional vertical array, determine the bottom of the container and a sample-air interface based on the masked one dimensional array, and determine the level of the sample in the container based on the determined bottom of the container and the sample-air interface. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A method for determining a level of a sample comprising:
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capturing an image of the sample housed in a container, wherein the image is represented as a two dimensional array of intensities of light; extracting an area of interest from the image including a bottom of the container; applying a filter to the area of interest; splitting the image into more than one narrower vertical arrays; analyzing each vertical array for peaks; counting and combining, per vertical unit, the peaks resulting from the analysis; forming a histogram from the combined peaks; analyzing the histogram for peak concentrations; determining the bottom of the container and a sample-air interface based on the analysis; and determining the level of the sample in the container based on the determined bottom of the container and the sample-air interface. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. A method for determining the presence and an amount of foam on a surface of a sample comprising:
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capturing an image of the sample housed in a container, wherein the image is represented as a two dimensional array of intensities of light; extracting an area of interest from the image; applying a filter to the area of interest; horizontally collapsing the filtered area of interest into a one dimensional vertical array based on normalized sums of line elements in the two dimensional array for each vertical unit in the one dimensional vertical array; masking the one dimensional vertical array; determining a surface of the sample at an interface of the sample and ambient air based on the masked one dimensional array; and detecting a range of continuous concentration of peaks in the one dimensional array in at least one direction moving away from the surface, wherein the continuous concentration of peaks is defined by a distance between adjacent peaks being smaller than a predefined maximum bubble size, and wherein the continuous concentration is the foam. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification