US 12,106,468 B2
Foreign material inspection system
Jeff Youngs, Kearney, MO (US); Kyle N. Knudsen, Kansas City, MO (US); and Flippo Sani, Reggio Emilia (IT)
Assigned to PROSPECTION SOLUTIONS, LLC, Kearney, MO (US)
Filed by Prospection Solutions, LLC, Kearney, MO (US)
Filed on Oct. 1, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/061,217.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/909,380, filed on Oct. 2, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0100256 A1, Apr. 8, 2021
Int. Cl. A22C 17/00 (2006.01); G01N 21/88 (2006.01); G01N 33/12 (2006.01); G06T 5/30 (2006.01); G06T 7/00 (2017.01)
CPC G06T 7/001 (2013.01) [A22C 17/008 (2013.01); G01N 21/8803 (2013.01); G01N 33/12 (2013.01); G06T 5/30 (2013.01); G06T 7/0004 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10024 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30128 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A foodstuff inspection system, comprising:
a first conveyor for conveying foodstuff;
a second conveyor separated from the first conveyor by a gap of free space;
a top rgb camera positioned above the gap and above the first conveyor and the second conveyor;
a bottom rgb camera positioned below the gap and below the first conveyor and the second conveyor; and
wherein the top rgb camera and the bottom rgb camera capture rgb images of the foodstuff in the gap between the first conveyor and the second conveyor for analysis, and wherein the top rgb camera and the bottom rgb camera capture colored rgb images for analysis;
a processor connected to the top rgb camera and the bottom rgb camera for processing rgb images taken of the foodstuff for detection of foreign debris in the foodstuff;
a library communicatively coupled to the processor containing each of the RGB components of data representative of acceptable rgb pixels corresponding to rgb images of foodstuff wherein the processor compares rgb images of the foodstuffs on a pixel by pixel basis with the data representative of each of the RGB components of acceptable rgb pixels stored in the library to detect foreign debris, wherein the processor conducts a morphological operation on the image of the foodstuff to emphasize foreign debris before the processor compares the image of the foodstuff, and wherein the morphological operation comprises image dilation to make foreign debris more visible by setting an output value of a rgb pixel as either a maximum or minimum value of all neighboring rgb pixels.