Method and device for orienting an umbilicated fruit, in particular for packaging same

2/ Method according to claim 1, characterised in that wherein, if said first condition is not met, the steps of rotation and of subsequent optical analysis of the first orientation phase are repeated, then the step of conditional decision-making is repeated by the processing unit by considering the subsequent image, captured before repeating the steps of rotation and of subsequent optical analysis, as an initial image.

4/ Method according to claim 1, wherein said optical image capturing axis is at least substantially orthogonal to the first axis of rotation.

5/ Method according to claim 1, wherein the first axis of rotation is contained in a horizontal plane and the second axis of rotation is vertical.

6/ Method according to claim 1, wherein said step of initial optical analysis comprises the detection of a centre of the fruit in at least one initial image, and, if at least one portion of an umbilicus is detected in at least one initial image, during the subsequent rotation step the fruit is set into rotation in a direction that is determined by the respective detected positions of the centre of the fruit and of the umbilicus, and is selected to minimise the angular movement amplitude of the umbilicus towards a plane, named first orientation plane, containing the first axis of rotation and not parallel to the optical image capturing axis.

7/ Method according to claim 1, wherein, during each optical analysis step, at least one image, named infrared image, is captured using at least one infrared camera, and the presence of at least one portion of an umbilicus is detected in each infrared image in the form of a spot having a grey scale that is higher than a predetermined grey scale and is smaller than that of the fruit but is larger than a predetermined dimension.

8/ Method according to claim 1, wherein the second axis of rotation is perpendicular to a plane, named first orientation plane, containing the first axis of rotation and not parallel to the optical image capturing axis.

9/ Method according to claim 1, wherein, at the end of the first orientation phase, the processing unit:

• identifies the last captured image, in which at least one portion of an umbilicus is detected by optical analysis, determines the position of a centre of the fruit in this last image, and computes the value of an angle, named azimuth (γ), formed between the first axis of rotation and an axis, named umbilical axis, passing through the umbilicus and the centre of the detected fruit;
• then commands a rotation of the fruit about the second axis of rotation during the second orientation phase at an angular amplitude that is determined by the computed azimuth value, so as to orient the umbilical axis at a predetermined orientation relative to the first axis of rotation.

10/ Method according to claim 1, wherein said method comprises, after the second orientation phase, a subsequent orientation phase, during which:

• the fruit is supported and set into rotation over an angular rotation amplitude of at least 360° about the first axis of rotation;
• an optical analysis of an upper surface of the fruit is carried out to detect a portion of said upper surface, named most colourful portion, having a maximum amount of colour;
• the rotation of the fruit is interrupted so as to place said most colourful portion on top.

11/ Method according to claim 1, for orienting a stalked fruit, wherein said method comprises, after the second orientation phase, a step of morphological optical analysis adapted to allow the position of a stalk of the fruit to be detected.

12/ Method according to claim 11, wherein said method comprises, after the step of morphological optical analysis, a subsequent step of rotation, during which the fruit is set into rotation about the second axis of rotation at a determined angular amplitude for placing the stalk in a predetermined angular position relative to the first axis of rotation.

14/ Method for packaging umbilicated fruit in cellular packages, wherein each fruit is placed in a packaging cell at a predetermined orientation, wherein said method comprises a method for orienting each fruit according to claim 1.

15/ Device for packaging umbilicated fruit, comprising devices for orienting fruit and at least one fruit handling robot that is adapted to place each fruit in a cell of a cellular package at a predetermined orientation, wherein said device comprises at least one orientation device according to claim 13.

16/ Computer program comprising computer program code instructions, wherein said computer program comprises programming means that can be read by a programmable processing unit and that are adapted to, once executed by said programmable processing unit, execute an orientation method according to claim 1 with said programmable processing unit and with a device for orienting each fruit that is adapted to support and set each fruit into spinning rotation about said first axis of rotation and about said second axis of rotation.

17/ Computer program comprising computer program code instructions, wherein said computer program comprises programming means that can be read by a programmable processing unit and that are adapted to, once executed by said programmable processing unit, execute a packaging method according to claim 14 with said programmable processing unit and with a device for orienting each fruit that is adapted to support and set each fruit into spinning rotation about said first axis of rotation and about said second axis of rotation.