Method and apparatus for sorting

A method of sorting which includes the steps:

• providing a product stream of individual objects of interest which are non-uniform agricultural products, and passing the product stream through an inspection station;
• acquiring a multiplicity of synchronized image signals of the individual objects of interest from a plurality of hyperspectral or multispectral image generating devices, each of the multiplicity of synchronized image signals having discreet signal features, and wherein the acquired multiplicity of synchronized image signals represent the individual agricultural products traveling in the product stream, and the individual agricultural product's characteristics, and aspects, which are deemed acceptable for further processing, and characteristics, and aspects, which are deemed unacceptable, for further processing;
• providing an image model formed from a multiplicity of previously acquired synchronized image signals from individual agricultural products having acceptable characteristics and aspects, and from individual agricultural products having unacceptable characteristics and aspects;
• generating a multiplicity of fused image and sensor signals by combining the multiplicity of synchronized image signals by a selective synchronization of the plurality of image generating devices, and by utilizing a known position, orientation, and an operational response of each of the plurality of image generating devices to generate an accurate spatial resolution of each of the individual agricultural products travelling in the product stream, and to further align the discrete signal features of each of the multiplicity of synchronized image signals;
• providing a first controller to predict the presence of acceptable, and unacceptable characteristics in the individual agricultural products in the product stream by applying the image model to the multiplicity of fused image and sensor signals, to facilitate formation of an object presence image signal, and to facilitate the formation of a defect image signal;
• providing a second controller to identify individual objects of interest travelling in the product stream as being an acceptable agricultural product, or as being an unacceptable agricultural product, by identifying one or more of a group of pixels in each of the object presence image signals and defect image signals which identify objects of interest or defects;
• determining a spatial orientation and location of the identified individual objects of interest travelling in the product stream by applying a prior source of knowledge of acceptable agricultural product aspects and unacceptable agricultural product aspects, to the object presence image signals and to the defect image signals;
• detecting unacceptable individual objects of interest in the product stream by applying a prior source of knowledge of unacceptable agricultural product aspects relative to object aspects to a multiplicity of object images formed of the object presence image signals and the defect image signals;
• updating the image model with additional and subsequently acquired object presence image signals and defect image signals;
• identifying the position and location of the unacceptable individual objects of interest in the product stream;
• and
• providing a third controller which is controllably coupled with, and renders operational an ejector, and wherein the third controller is coupled in signal receiving relation relative to an unacceptable agricultural product defect signal which is generated by the second controller, and which further renders the ejector operational to remove unacceptable agricultural products from the product stream.