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US 10,327,450 B2Granted
Method of creating batches for food items conveyed by a conveyor
AssigneeMarel A/S
InventorsSteen Karlskov Petersen, Birgit Mortensen, Jesper Ågård Vuholm
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Abstract
A method of creating batches for food items conveyed by a conveyor means, comprises measuring an image profile for a food item, processing the measured image profile for the food item, cutting the food item into a plurality of portions based on the processed measured image profile, and distinguishing the portions within the partial batch from the remaining portions. The number of portions from one or more of subsequent food items needed to complete the partial batch is such that it fulfills the pre-defined batch-criteria taken from the same or similar area of the food items from where the partial batch originates.
Claims20
A method of creating batches for food items conveyed by a conveyor, comprising:
- obtaining a visual image of a food item with an image sensor,
- storing said obtained visual image,
- measuring the obtained and stored visual image to obtain a measured image profile for the food item,
- processing the measured image profile for the food item, wherein the processing includes:
- dividing the measured image profile of the food item into at least one batch fulfilling a pre-defined batch-criteria, wherein each of the at least one batch includes two or more portions, each of which fulfil a pre-defined portion-criteria,
- determining, based on said obtained and stored visual image, whether said dividing would yield a partial batch that does not fulfill the pre-defined batch-criteria, wherein in case a partial batch would be yielded from said dividing, determining and registering the number of portions within the partial batch that will fulfil the pre-defined portion-criteria, and
- selecting an area within the food item where the partial batch would originate from based on the obtained and stored visual image,
- cutting the food item into a plurality of portions based on the processed measured image profile,
- distinguishing the portions within the partial batch from the remaining portions,
- wherein the number of portions from one or more of subsequent food items needed to complete the partial batch such that it fulfils the pre-defined batch-criteria is taken from a corresponding same or similar area of the one or more of subsequent food items as where the partial batch originates from.
7 more elements
One or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by one or more processors configure a system for creating batches of food items conveyed by a conveyor to perform at least the following:
- obtain a visual image of a food item with an image sensor,
- store said obtained visual image,
- measure the obtained and stored visual image to obtain a measured image profile for the food item,
- process, with a computer system, the measured image profile for the food item, wherein the processing includes:
- dividing the measured image profile of the food item into at least one batch fulfilling a pre-defined batch-criteria, wherein each of the at least one batch includes two or more portions each of which fulfil a pre-defined portion-criteria,
- determining, based on said obtained and stored visual image, whether said dividing would yield a partial batch that does not fulfill the pre-defined batch-criteria, wherein in case a partial batch would be yielded from said dividing, determining and registering the number of portions within the partial batch that will fulfil the pre-defined portion-criteria, and
- selecting an area within the food item where the partial batch would originate from based on the obtained and stored visual image,
- cut the food item into a plurality of portions based on the processed measured image profile,
- distinguish the portions within the partial batch from the remaining portions,
- wherein the number of portions from one or more of subsequent food items needed to complete the partial batch such that it fulfils the pre-defined batch-criteria is taken from a corresponding same or similar area of the one or more of subsequent food items as where the partial batch originates from.
7 more elements
An apparatus for creating batches for food items conveyed by a conveyor, comprising:
- an image sensor that obtains a visual image of a food item,
- a memory storage that stores the obtained visual image,
- a measurer that measures the obtained and stored visual image to obtain a measured image profile for the food item,
- a processor that performs processing of the measured image profile for the food item, wherein the processing includes:
- dividing the measured image profile of the food item into at least one batch fulfilling a pre-defined batch-criteria, wherein each of the at least one batch includes two or more portions each of which fulfil a pre-defined portion-criteria,
- determining, based on said obtained and stored visual image, whether said dividing would yield a partial batch that does not fulfill the pre-defined batch-criteria, wherein in case a partial batch would be yielded from said dividing, determining and registering the number of portions within the partial batch that will fulfil the pre-defined portion-criteria, and
- selecting an area within the food item where the partial batch would originate from based on the obtained and stored visual image,
- a cutting device for cutting the food item into a plurality of portions based on the processed measured image profile,
- a distinguisher that distinguishes the portions within the partial batch from the remaining portions,
- wherein the number of portions from one or more of subsequent food items needed to complete the partial batch such that it fulfils the pre-defined batch-criteria is taken from a corresponding same or similar area of the one or more of subsequent food items as where the partial batch originates from.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.