Sorting and inspection apparatus and method

Inspection apparatus comprising

• video camera means for receiving a two-dimensional an image of at least the portion of an article to be inspected within the field of view of said video camera and for providing a raster scan video signal in response thereto
• digitizing means coupled to said camera means for providing a first plurality of digitized signals responsive to the said raster scan video signal, each digital signal summarizing, in digital form, the characteristic of a respective portion of the raster scan of the image of the article to be inspected
• storage means for storing a second plurality of digital signals, each of said digital signals within said second plurality of digital signals summarizing, in digital form, the features of a respective portion of the raster scan of an image of a preselected article having the specific characteristic to be inspected for;
• and
• correlation means for correlating said first plurality of digital signals with said second plurality of digital signals to determine the similarity in the article being inspected and the preselected article.

A method of inspecting articles comprising the steps of

• (a) storing a first plurality of digital signals, each representing a summary of the features of the raster scan of an item to be inspected for
• (b) placing the article to be inspected in view of a video camera to obtain a raster scan video signal responsive to the image of at least part of the article to be inspected
• (c) digitizing the video signal to provide a second plurality of digital signals, each representing a summary of features of the article to be inspected as represented by a portion of the raster scan, and
• (d) correlating the digital signals of step (a) and step (c) to determine the similarities thereof.

In a bottle sorting system, the improvement comprising

• video camera means for receiving an image of at least a visually distinctive portion of a target bottle within the field of view of said video camera and for providing a video signal in response thereto
• digitizing means coupled to said camera means for providing a first plurality of digitized signals responsive to said video signal, each digital signal summarizing, in digital form, the features of a respective portion of the target bottle
• storage means for storing second pluralities of digital signals, each of said digital signals within one of said second pluralities of digital signals summarizing, in digital form, the features of a respective portion of a bottle of one of the predetermined types of bottle to be sorted
• correlation means for correlating said first plurality of digital signals with each of said plurality of digital signals to identify which of said predetermined types of bottles the target bottle most closely correlates
• means for determining the margin in correlations between the correlation obtained between a target bottle and a first predetermined type of bottle with which the digital signals best correlate, and the correlation obtained between the target bottle and a second predetermined type of bottle with which the digitized signals next best correlate, and
• second correlation means for correlating said first plurality of digital signals with each of said second plurality of digital signals for said first and second predetermined types of bottles utilizing a correlation technique differing from the correlation technique used in the first correlation when the margin in correlation is less than a predetermined amount.

In a bottle sorting system, the improvement comprising

• video camera means for receiving an image of at least a visually distinctive portion of a target bottle within the field of view of said video camera and for providing a video signal in response thereto
• digitizing means coupled to said camera means for providing a first plurality of digitized signals responsive to said video signal, each digital signal summarizing, in digital form, the features of a respective portion of the target bottle
• storage means for storing second pluralities of digital signals, each of said digital signals within one of said second pluralities of digital signals summarizing, in digital form, the features of a respective portion of a bottle of one of the predetermined types of bottle to be sorted;
• and
• correlation means for correlating said first plurality of digital signals with each of said second plurality of digital signals to identify which of said predetermined types of bottles the target bottle most closely correlates, said correlation means further including precessing means for correlating said first and second pluralities of digital signals with various amounts of precess to accommodate locational differences in the article being inspected and each predetermined type of bottle.

Inspection apparatus comprising

• video camera means for receiving an image of at least the portion of an article to be inspected within the field of view of said video camera and for providing a raster scan video signal in response thereto
• digitizing means coupled to said camera means for providing a first plurality of digitized signals responsive to the said raster scan video signal, each digital signal summarizing, in digital form, the characteristic of a respective portion of the raster scan of the image of the article to be inspected
• storage means for storing a second plurality of digital signals, each of said digital signals within said second plurality of digital signals summarizing, in digital form, the features of a respective portion of the raster scan of an image of a preselected article having the specific characteristic to be inspected for
• correlation means for correlating said first plurality of digital signals with said second plurality of digital signals to determine the similarity in the article being inspected and the preselected article, said correlation means further including precessing means for correlating said first and second pluralities of digital signals with various amount of precess to accommodate locational differences in the article being inspected and the preselected article.