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AssigneeMaasland N.V. a Dutch Company
InventorsKarel van den Berg, Helena G. M. Vijverberg, Wilco van Lier
Estimating the term…
A method and apparatus for ascertaining and measuring the quality of milk by analyzing reflected or absorbed colors or both with which the milk is irradiated. The milk is thus irradiated with three colors of light in wavelengths of red, green and blue and the intensity and color of the light reflected by the milk or absorbed thereby, or both, is measured. The light sources are periodically switched off whereby the receiving sensors measure the same red, green and blue wavelengths due to background sources to the extent that they are reflected or absorbed or both by the milk. This data is then compared with data with the light sources switched on to produce the net data which is relevant to the milk as it is being received from the animal being milked. The net measurements provide a basis for ongoing evaluations of the quality of the milk being received from the animal; they are capable of indicating blood, urine, excrement, other contaminants, e-coli bacteria, hormones, rinsing liquid, air, and conditions such as mastitis and colostrum or grass milk which is milk produced after consumption of grass by the animal.
A method of determining the distinctive characteristics of milk as milk is received from an animal by means of measurements, which comprises the steps of irradiating the milk selectively with electromagnetic radiations of different wavelengths or different intensities, or both, while selectively recording values of reflected or absorbed radiation intensities, or both, therefrom, storing said values of said reflected or absorbed radiations or intensities or both in a memory, and comparing said values so recorded and stored mutually in said memory and with previous similar values recorded and stored during previous measurements of milk received from said animal, and displaying the results of such comparisons.
An apparatus for determining the quality of milk which comprises a color measuring system that includes a sensor having an electromagnetic radiation source irradiating the milk with radiation of a predetermined wavelength and intensity, switch means for switching said source on and off, receiver means for measuring the effect of said radiation while said source is switched off to record the value of the effect of background radiation of said wavelength received by said milk, and for measuring the effect of radiation of said wavelength on said milk from said source when said source is switched on, and computer means for comparing and deleting the effect of said background radiation on said milk whereby the quality of milk is determined by radiation of said wavelength from said source substantially unaffected by said background radiation.
A method of ascertaining the quality of milk by analyzing its color which comprises irradiating the milk being analyzed with electromagnetic radiations of predetermined intensity at a selected wavelength, receiving said radiation in a sensor, excluding from said radiation received in said sensor all radiations except radiation of said selected wavelength, analyzing all radiation at said selected wavelength as received and affected by said milk and converting such radiation to data, said milk substantially simultaneously receiving background electromagnetic radiation while receiving said electromagnetic radiation of said predetermined intensity, transmitting first data representing said simultaneously received radiation to a computer memory, discontinuing said radiation of predetermined intensity, and transmitting second data representing only said background electromagnetic radiation at said selected wavelength to a computer memory, comparing said first and second data, and displaying further data based on the comparison of said first and second data to represent the physiological characteristics of said milk.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.