Cigarette filter inspection method, cigarette filter inspection apparatus, and cigarette filter inspection program
AssigneeJapan Tobacco Inc.
InventorsTakuya Otokawa, Kazumasa Arae
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cigarette filter inspection method of inspecting a solid flavor element to be disposed in a void between two filter plugs placed in outer filter wrapper, and the cigarette filter inspection method includes an illumination step of irradiating the void with illumination light, an imaging step of obtaining an inspection image of a region containing the void, a filler detection step of detecting the flavor element based on contrast between the void and the flavor element in the inspection image, and an inspection step of inspecting the flavor element detected in the inspection image.
Claims22
A cigarette filter inspection method of inspecting a solid filler to be disposed in a void between two members placed in an outer filter wrapper, the cigarette filter inspection method comprising:
- a first step of irradiating the void with illumination light,
- a second step of obtaining an inspection image of a region containing the void,
- a third step of detecting the filler based on contrast between the void and the filler in the inspection image,
- a fourth step of inspecting the filler detected in the inspection image and determining a single filler is in the void,
- determining an area of the filler and determine that the area falls within a predetermined range;
- and
- calculating a circumferential length of the filler,
- calculating the circularity of the filler using the equation 4πS/L2, where S is the area of the filler and L is the circumferential length of the filler, and
- determining whether the circularity of the filler is greater than a threshold value.
A cigarette filter inspection apparatus that inspects a solid filler to be disposed in a void between two members placed in outer filter wrapper, the cigarette filter inspection apparatus comprising:
- an illuminator that irradiates the void with illumination light,
- an imager that obtains an inspection image of a region containing the void, and
- an image processor including a filler detector for detecting the filler based on contrast between the void and the filler in the inspection image, and an inspector for inspecting the filler detected in the inspection image, and
- a computing unit configured to:
- determine a single filler is in the void,
- determine an area of the filler and determine that the area falls within a predetermined range;
- and
- calculate a circumferential length of the filler,
- calculate the circularity of the filler using the equation 4πS/L2, where S is the area of the filler and L is the circumferential length of the filler, and
- determine whether the circularity of the filler is greater than a threshold value.
A non-transitory cigarette filter inspection program to inspect a solid filler to be disposed in a void between two members placed in outer filter wrapper, the cigarette filter inspection program causing a computer to execute:
- a first step of obtaining an inspection image of a region containing the void,
- a second step of detecting the filler based on contrast between the void and the filler in the inspection image, and
- a third step of inspecting the filler detected in the inspection image and determining a single filler is in the void,
- determining an area of the filler and determine that the area falls within a predetermined range;
- and
- calculating a circumferential length of the filler,
- calculating the circularity of the filler using the equation 4πS/L2, where S is the area of the filler and L is the circumferential length of the filler, and
- determining whether the circularity of the filler is greater than a threshold value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.