Fish-sorting system for sorting fish in a dragged fishing net
AssigneeKalapa Bvba
InventorPiet Rommelaere
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fish-sorting system for sorting fish in a dragged fishing net (1), wherein the fish are actively sorted by means of a detection device (2, 3) which detects at least one size of a fish to be sorted; a processing unit which compares the size detected by the detection means (2, 3) with the desired size; and a sorting device (4) which retains fish in the fishing net (1) of a size greater than the desired size and which releases fish of a size smaller than the desired size from the fishing net (1) on the basis of the comparison between the detected size and the desired size carried out by the processing unit.
Claims19
A fish-sorting system for sorting fish in a dragged fishing net for retaining fish in the fishing net of a size greater than a desired size and releasing fish of a size smaller than the desired size from the fishing net, wherein said fish-sorting system comprises:
- a detection device configured to detect at least one size of a fish to be sorted in the fishing net;
- a processing unit programmed to compare the size detected by the detection means to the desired size;
- and
- a sorting device for retaining fish in the fishing net of a size greater than the desired size and for releasing fish of a size smaller than the desired size from the fishing net on the basis of the comparison between the detected size and the desired size carried out by the processing unit;
- wherein the detection device comprises:
- wherein the fishing net comprises an end which, viewed in the direction of dragging of the fishing net, comes last;
- a plurality of distance sensors distributed around a periphery of the fishing net that obtain distance measurements from different angles, wherein the distance sensors are at a first distance from said end;
- a reference sensor configured to detect passing fish, wherein the reference sensor is at a second distance from said end;
- and
- a time recorder for recording the time between the fish being measured by the distance sensors and being detected by the reference sensor;
- wherein the detection device determines a speed at which the fish is swimming using the recorded time, and considers the speed at which the fish is swimming in the detecting the at least one size of the fish to be sorted in the fishing net;
- wherein the processing unit is programmed to determine a geometry of the periphery of the fishing net at the first distance from said end, using measured values of the distance sensors when no object is passing between the distance sensors, and based on the determined geometry, to produce three-dimensional images of objects passing the distance sensors.
A fish-sorting system for sorting fish in a dragged fishing net for retaining fish in the fishing net of a size greater than a desired size and releasing fish of a size smaller than the desired size from the fishing net, wherein said fish-sorting system comprises:
- a detection device configured to detect at least one size of a fish to be sorted in the fishing net;
- a processing unit programmed to compare the size detected by the detection means to the desired size;
- and
- a sorting device for retaining fish in the fishing net of a size greater than the desired size and for releasing fish of a size smaller than the desired size from the fishing net on the basis of the comparison between the detected size and the desired size carried out by the processing unit;
- wherein the detection device comprises:
- sensors, including one or more light sensors, for detecting fish swimming by, comprising first sensors distributed around a periphery of the fishing net and a second reference sensor spatially separated from the first sensors along a direction of dragging of the fishing net;
- and
- a time recorder for recording the time between detections at first and second sensors;
- wherein the device determines a speed at which the fish is swimming based on the recorded time and considers the speed at which the fish is swimming in the detecting the at least one size of the fish to be sorted in the fishing net;
- wherein the processing unit is programmed to determine a geometry of the periphery of the fishing net at a location of the first sensors, using measured values of the first sensors when no object is passing between the first sensors and, based on the determined geometry, to produce three-dimensional images of objects passing the first sensors.
A fish-sorting system for sorting fish in a dragged fishing net for retaining fish in the fishing net of a size greater than a desired size and releasing fish of a size smaller than the desired size from the fishing net, wherein said fish-sorting system comprises:
- a detection device configured to detect at least one size of a fish to be sorted in the fishing net;
- a processing unit programmed to compare the size detected by the detection means to the desired size;
- and
- a sorting device for retaining fish in the fishing net of a size greater than the desired size and for releasing fish of a size smaller than the desired size from the fishing net on the basis of the comparison between the detected size and the desired size carried out by the processing unit;
- wherein the detection device comprises:
- sensors, including one or more cameras, for capturing images of the fish to be sorted, comprising first sensors distributed around a periphery of the fishing net and a second reference sensor spatially separated from the first sensors along a direction of dragging of the fishing net;
- and
- a time recorder for recording the time between the captured images at first and second sensors;
- and wherein the device determines a speed at which the fish is swimming based on the recorded time and considers the speed at which the fish is swimming in the detecting the at least one size of the fish to be sorted in the fishing net;
- wherein the processing unit is programmed to determine a geometry of the periphery of the fishing net at a location of the first sensors, using measured values of the first sensors when no object is passing between the first sensors and, based on the determined geometry, to produce three-dimensional images of objects passing the first sensors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.