초록 ▼

A peach sorting system (110) conveys peaches (114) on a conveyor belt (112) past an inspection zone (126) that is lighted by an illumination source (90) radiating a number of emission peaks over visible and infrared portions of the spectrum. The illumination source generates the radiation from an In

A peach sorting system (110) conveys peaches (114) on a conveyor belt (112) past an inspection zone (126) that is lighted by an illumination source (90) radiating a number of emission peaks over visible and infrared portions of the spectrum. The illumination source generates the radiation from an Indium Iodide lamp (92) that is reflected off a parabolic reflector (94) and through a "soda straw" collimator (100) to illuminated the peaches. A detector system (118) employs line scanning visible and infrared cameras (142, 140) to sense visible and IR wavelength reflectance value differences existing between peach meat (124) and peach pit or pit fragments (126). Because there is a reversal in the reflectance values between the visible and infrared wavelengths, a data subtraction technique (150) is employed to enhance the detection contrast ratio. The data subtraction technique also cancels "glint" caused by specular reflections of the illumination source off the peaches and into the cameras.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [1.]1. An article sorting system that conveys the articles on a conveyor belt and past an inspection zone, comprising:an illumination source emitting visible and infrared radiation for illuminating the articles in the inspection zone; and wherein the illumination source includes at leas

[ We claim:] [1.]1. An article sorting system that conveys the articles on a conveyor belt and past an inspection zone, comprising:an illumination source emitting visible and infrared radiation for illuminating the articles in the inspection zone; and wherein the illumination source includes at least one high-intensity discharge lamp that is filled with a gas including at least one of Helium and Indium Iodide;a detector system for sensing the visible and infrared radiation reflected from the articles in the inspection zone and generating visible data and infrared data;a subtraction processor determining a difference between the visible data and the infrared data to provide article sorting data;a sorter responsive to the sorting data for separating the articles into acceptable articles and unacceptable articles.