US 2024/0228181 A9 · CORRECTION TECHNIQUES FOR MATERIAL CLASSIFICATION

Abstract

When x-ray fluorescence (“XRF”) spectroscopy is utilized to classify materials transported on a moving conveyor belt, there is the possibility of the x-ray beam only partially irradiating the material piece, which can result in the capture of an inaccurate XRF spectrum needed to classify the material piece. This can lead to an improper (erroneous) classification and resultant sortation of material pieces (e.g., aluminum alloys). In a material handling system, the area of the intersections between the x-ray beam spots from an x-ray fluorescence system and the material pieces are measured and correspondingly used to correct the measured XRF spectrum associated with each material piece. The material pieces can then be sorted according to the corrected XRF spectrum.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

conveying a material piece on a moving conveyor belt past an x-ray fluorescence (“XRF”) system;
irradiating the material piece with an x-ray beam emitted by the XRF system;
measuring an XRF spectrum of the material piece resulting from the irradiation of the material piece with the x-ray beam;
determining an area of intersection between an x-ray beam spot of the irradiated x-ray beam and the material piece;
modifying the measured XRF spectrum of the material piece as a function of the determined area of intersection;
and
classifying the material piece as a function of the modified XRF spectrum.

4 more elements

A material handling system comprising:

a conveyor system configured to convey a mixture of material pieces;
an XRF system configured to (i) irradiate the material piece with an x-ray beam emitted by the XRF system and (ii) measure an XRF spectrum of the material piece resulting from the irradiation of the material piece with the x-ray beam;
circuitry configured to determine an area of intersection between an x-ray beam spot of the irradiated x-ray beam and the material piece;
circuitry configured to modify the measured XRF spectrum of the material piece as a function of the determined area of intersection;
circuitry configured to classify the material piece as a function of the modified XRF spectrum;
and
circuitry configured to sort the material piece from the mixture of material pieces conveyed on the moving conveyor belt.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

18/491,692Filed 20 Oct 2023

Priority

21 Oct 2022

Published

11 Jul 2024

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

B65G 43/08
Control devices, e.g. for safety, warning or fault-correcting: control devices operated by article or material being fed, conveyed or discharged
B07C 5/342
Sorting according to other particular properties: according to optical properties, e.g. colour
B07C 5/346
Sorting according to other particular properties: according to radioactive properties
G01N 23/223
By measuring secondary emission from the material: by irradiating the sample with X-rays or gamma-rays and by measuring X-ray fluorescence

Family

Application63/418,242Us provisional application · filed 21 Oct 2022

Application63/478,823Us provisional application · filed 6 Jan 2023

US 12,404,114 B2Related patent

US 2024/0133830 A1Published application

US 2024/0228181 A9This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Correction techniques for material classification

Life of this patent

Correction techniques for material classification

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20