Quantitative texture measurement apparatus and method

• US 9,541,537 B1
• Filed: 09/24/2015
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Frito-Lay North America Incorporated (PepsiCo Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Frito-Lay North America Incorporated (PepsiCo Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bai, Ou, Michel-Sanchez, Enrique, Mirza, Shahmeer Ali, Richardson, Scott G., Bourg, Wilfred Marcellien Jr., Fagan, Scott, Shao, Chen C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, Laura
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEVITO, ALEX T
• Application Number:
  US14/864,593
• Time in Patent Office: 474 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/28 for measuring roughness or irregularity of surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 9/008 by using ultrasonic waves measuring position using ultrasonic waves G01S15/02
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02466 Biological material, e.g. blood
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02818 Density, viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02827 Elastic parameters, strength or force
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/02845 Humidity, wetness
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/0289 Internal structure, e.g. defects, grain size, texture
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/12 by measuring frequency or resonance of acoustic waves measuring frequency or resonant frequency of mechanical vibrations or acoustic waves in general G01H1/06, G01H3/04, G01H13/00; acoustic resonators G10K11/04; vibration or shock testing of structures G01M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/2418 using optoacoustic interaction with the material, e.g. laser radiation, photoacoustics photoacoustic cells G01N21/1702; measuring characteristics of vibrations by using radiation-sensitive means G01H9/00; acousto-optical conversion techniques for short-range imaging G01S15/8965; sound-producing devices using laser bundle G10K15/046
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/42 by frequency filtering or by tuning to resonant frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/4454 Signal recognition, e.g. specific values or portions, signal events, signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/025 Fruits or vegetables
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/10 Starch-containing substances, e.g. dough

Abstract

A photo acoustic non-destructive measurement apparatus and method for quantitatively measuring texture of a food snack is disclosed. The apparatus includes a laser generating tool, an acoustic capturing device, and a data processing unit. The laser generating tool directs a laser towards a food snack placed on a surface and creates pressure waves that propagate through the air and produce an acoustic signal. The acoustic capturing device records and forwards the signal to a data processing unit. The data processing unit further comprises a digital signal processing module that processes the received acoustic signal. A statistical processing module further filters the acoustic signal from the data processing unit and generates a quantitative acoustic model for texture attributes such as hardness and fracturability. The quantitative model is correlated with a qualitative texture measurement from a descriptive expert panel. Texture of food snacks are quantitatively measured with the quantitative acoustic model.

Claims

1. An apparatus for quantitative non-destructive texture attribute measurement of a food product, comprising;

a housing;

a laser generator attached to said housing;

an acoustic capturing device proximally located to said housing;

a data processing unit in communication with at least said acoustic capturing device;

wherein a laser from said laser generator is directed to strike said food product, thereby producing an acoustic signal to be detected by said acoustic capturing device;

wherein further said data processing unit is configured to quantitatively measure said texture attribute of said food product based on input from said acoustic capturing device and

said texture attribute is selected from a group comprising;

hardness, fracturability, tooth-pack, crispiness, denseness, roughness of mass, moistness of mass, residual greasiness, surface roughness, or surface oiliness.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein shape of said housing is a hollow cylinder.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein shape of said housing is a parabolic dish.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said food product is placed on a stationary surface when said laser strikes said food product.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said food product is passing within said housing when said laser strikes said food product.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said acoustic capturing device is configured to capture frequencies in said acoustic signal;

said frequencies range from 0 to 200 KHz.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a distance between said acoustic capturing device and said product ranges from 2 inch to 2 feet.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said acoustic capturing device is positioned such that said acoustic capturing device is configured to capture energy density in said acoustic signal within a range of 62.5 mJ/mm² to 594.5 mJ/mm².

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said food product is a starch based food snack.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said food product is a potato chip.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said data processing unit further comprises a digital signal processing unit and a texture attribute computing unit.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said digital signal processing unit is configured to smoothen, transform and filter said acoustic signal to identify relevant frequencies relating to said texture attribute.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said texture attribute computing unit is configured to calculate said texture attribute from said frequencies captured in said acoustic signal.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said food snack remains intact after said strike from said laser generator.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein said acoustic capturing device is a microphone;

said microphone is configured to be wired to said data processing unit.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein said acoustic capturing device is a microphone;

said microphone is configured to wirelessly connect with said data processing unit.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein said acoustic capturing device is configured to capture said acoustic signal in a single direction.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein said acoustic capturing device is configured to capture said acoustic signal in a plurality of directions.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein said acoustic capturing device is integrated with said digital signal processing unit.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein said acoustic capturing device and said data processing unit are integrated into one unit.

21. A non-destructive photo acoustic quantitative method for measuring texture attribute of a food product, wherein said texture attribute is selected from a group comprising:

hardness, fracturability, tooth-pack, crispiness, denseness, roughness of mass, moistness of mass, residual greasiness, surface roughness, or surface oiliness, said method comprises the steps of;

a) striking a surface of a food product with a laser, thereby generating an acoustic signal from a surface of said food product;

b) capturing said acoustic signal with an acoustic capturing device;

c) sending said acoustic signal to a data processing unit coupled to said acoustic capturing device;

d) converting said acoustic signal from a time domain to a frequency domain;

e) identifying relevant frequencies and their associated intensities; and

f) quantifying said texture attribute of said food product based on said relevant frequencies and said associated intensities.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said food product is moving on a production line when said laser strikes said food product.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein said food product is stationary when said laser strikes said food product.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein said laser strikes said food product at multiple locations of said food product.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein said acoustic capturing device captures said acoustic signal for a period of 1 second to 5 minutes.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein said laser strikes said food product continuously for a period of 1 micro second to 10 seconds.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein said food product is a starch based food snack.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein a diameter of said laser beam ranges from 200 micrometers to 400 micrometers.

29. An apparatus for quantitative non-destructive texture attribute measurement of a food product, comprising;

a housing;

a laser generator attached to said housing;

an acoustic capturing device proximally located to said housing;

a data processing unit in communication with at least said acoustic capturing device;

wherein a laser from said laser generator is directed to strike said food product, thereby producing an acoustic signal to be detected by said acoustic capturing device;

wherein further said data processing unit is configured to quantitatively measure said texture attribute of said food product based on input from said acoustic capturing device; and

said acoustic capturing device is positioned such that said acoustic capturing device is configured to capture energy density in said acoustic signal within a range of 62.5 mJ/mm² to 594.5 mJ/mm².

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein shape of said housing is a hollow cylinder.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein shape of said housing is a parabolic dish.

32. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said food product is placed on a stationary surface when said laser strikes said food product.

33. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said food product is passing within said housing when said laser strikes said food product.

34. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said acoustic capturing device is configured to capture frequencies in said acoustic signal;

said frequencies range from 0 to 200 KHz.

35. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein a distance between said acoustic capturing device and said product ranges from 2 inch to 2 feet.

36. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said food product is a starch based food snack.

37. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said food product is a potato chip.

38. The system of claim 29, wherein said data processing unit further comprises a digital signal processing unit and a texture attribute computing unit.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein said digital signal processing unit is configured to smoothen, transform and filter said acoustic signal to identify relevant frequencies relating to said texture attribute.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein said texture attribute computing unit is configured to calculate said texture attribute from said frequencies captured in said acoustic signal.

41. The system of claim 29, wherein said food snack remains intact after said strike from said laser generator.

42. The system of claim 29 wherein said acoustic capturing device is a microphone;

said microphone is configured to be wired to said data processing unit.

43. The system of claim 29 wherein said acoustic capturing device is a microphone;

said microphone is configured to wirelessly connect with said data processing unit.

44. The system of claim 29 wherein said acoustic capturing device is configured to capture said acoustic signal in a single direction.

45. The system of claim 29 wherein said acoustic capturing device is configured to capture said acoustic signal in a plurality of directions.

46. The system of claim 38 wherein said acoustic capturing device is integrated with said digital signal processing unit.

47. The system of claim 29 wherein said acoustic capturing device and said data processing unit are integrated into one unit.