DK180440B1 - On-line determination of quality characteristics of meat products - Google Patents

On-line determination of quality characteristics of meat products Download PDF

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Publication number
DK180440B1
DK180440B1 DKPA201901038A DKPA201901038A DK180440B1 DK 180440 B1 DK180440 B1 DK 180440B1 DK PA201901038 A DKPA201901038 A DK PA201901038A DK PA201901038 A DKPA201901038 A DK PA201901038A DK 180440 B1 DK180440 B1 DK 180440B1
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DK
Denmark
Prior art keywords
meat products
meat
conveyor belt
conveyor
pieces
Prior art date
Application number
DKPA201901038A
Other languages
Danish (da)
Inventor
Toftelund Madsen Niels
Ryding Ole
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Teknologisk Inst
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Publication date
Application filed by Teknologisk Inst filed Critical Teknologisk Inst
Priority to DKPA201901038A priority Critical patent/DK180440B1/en
Publication of DK201901038A1 publication Critical patent/DK201901038A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of DK180440B1 publication Critical patent/DK180440B1/en

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Classifications

    • AHUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A22BUTCHERING; MEAT TREATMENT; PROCESSING POULTRY OR FISH
    • A22CPROCESSING MEAT, POULTRY, OR FISH
    • A22C17/00Other devices for processing meat or bones
    • A22C17/0073Other devices for processing meat or bones using visual recognition, X-rays, ultrasounds, or other contactless means to determine quality or size of portioned meat
    • A22C17/008Other devices for processing meat or bones using visual recognition, X-rays, ultrasounds, or other contactless means to determine quality or size of portioned meat for measuring quality, e.g. to determine further processing
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07CPOSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
    • B07C5/00Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or measure such characteristic or feature; Sorting by manually actuated devices, e.g. switches
    • B07C5/34Sorting according to other particular properties
    • B07C5/342Sorting according to other particular properties according to optical properties, e.g. colour
    • B07C5/3422Sorting according to other particular properties according to optical properties, e.g. colour using video scanning devices, e.g. TV-cameras
    • GPHYSICS
    • G01MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01NINVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N33/00Investigating or analysing materials by specific methods not covered by groups G01N1/00 - G01N31/00
    • G01N33/02Food
    • G01N33/12Meat; fish

Abstract

This invention relates to a dual-side vision inspection system, and a method for on-line identification and/or determination of quality characteristics, of meat products, carried on conveyors.

Description

DK 180440 B1 1 ON-LINE DETERMINATION OF QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS
OF MEAT PRODUCTS
TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to a dual-side vision inspection system, and a method for on- line identification and/or determination of quality characteristics, of meat products, carried On CONVeyors.
BACKGROUND ART In the meat processing industry, meat products of various types are transported on conveyor belts while being monitored, on the fly, for various characteristics, e.g. product identification, quality inspection, or the presence of foreign objects. For performing such operations, manual inspection has gradually been displaced by newer approaches such as automated, imaging technologies.
In order to obtain reliable results, vision-based detection processes should be based on an analysis of the largest possible surface of the meat products in question. Therefore, measures for exposing a larger part of the meat surfaces to such recordings have been taken.
Thus, WO 9521375 describes a method for on-line determination of quality characteristics of pieces of meat, using a vision detection device placed over a conveyor belt further down-stream, for recording images of meat piece that has been turned around, so that the side which was hidden from the camera of the first arrangement is now facing the camera of the second arrangement.
WO 2010046366 describes an alternative method for on-line determination of quality characteristics of meat products, according to which method a first image is obtained, while the product is being transported on a first conveyor, followed by releasing the meat products from this first conveyor, thereby inducing rotating the products during moving and falling, and resulting in turning said products substantially 180°, catching said parts on a second conveyor, and passing said second conveyor row alongside a second camera system for obtaining second turn images.
WO 0058035 describes a system for the sorting of light-weight articles that also involves the use of a vision device. This system provides an enclosed system that stabilizes the light-weight articles as they are projected in-air from the discharge end of a conveyor belt.
WO 2005079588 describes a portion cutter comprising three conveyors for transporting the meat product from a measuring means to a cutting means, which meat
DK 180440 B1 2 products are placed consecutively and essentially abutting each other on said conveying means, essentially without any gab between them.
However, the on-line determination system and method described herein has not been disclosed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a dual-side vision inspection system and a method for on- line identification and/or determination of quality characteristics, of meat products, carried on conveyors.
According to the method of the invention, images are taken from (at least) two sides, using one or more upper side camera(s) and one or more lower side camera(s), both (all) directed towards meat products while they are airborne, being projected from one conveyor belt to another. In such an arrangement, the aim is to measure on the largest possible meat surface.
The larger the visual coverage of surface, the better the quality determination. The method in accordance with the invention is resulting in missing substantially less meat surface portions when inspected, thus giving far more reliable processing.
Therefore, in its first aspect, the invention provides a system for on-line inspection of meat products, which system comprises: a) a first (2) and a second (3) conveyor, in a relative combination with each other creating an inter-space (7), suited for obtaining images of meat pieces while these meat pieces are passing over from, or falling down from the discharge end of the first conveyor (2) onto the second conveyor (3); and b) a machine vision system, executed on a processing means (10), comprising one or more upper (5) and one or more lower (6) camera(s), each camera capable of obtaining images of the falling meat pieces.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a method for dual-side, on-line inspection of meat products, which method comprises the subsequent steps of: a. supplying the meat products on a first, in-let conveyor belt (2); b. un-loading said meat products by dropping the meat products from the discharge end of said first conveyor (2), thus falling down through an inter-space, measurement window (7), and down onto a second conveyor belt (3); c. subjecting the meat products to recordings by a dual-side machine vision system (1), while the meat products are leaving the discharge end of the first conveyor (2) and falling down through an inter-space, measurement window (7), and down onto a second conveyor belt (3); and
DK 180440 B1 3 d. disposal of meat pieces or parts of meat pieces with deviating characteristics, as determined by the dual-side machine vision system (1). Other objects of the invention will be apparent to the person skilled in the art from reading the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. Any combination of two or more of the embodiments described herein is considered within the scope of the present invention.
DETAILED DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a dual-side vision inspection system and a method for on- line identification, and/or determination of quality characteristics, of meat products, carried On CONVeyors.
The system of the invention In its first aspect, the invention provides a dual-side vision inspection system (1) for on-line inspection of meat products, i.e. while on the fly, and is being transported by a conveyor.
Inspections contemplated according to the invention may include identification of products (product ID), determination of quality characteristics, the presence of foreign objects in meat products, etc.
The dual-side vision inspection system of the invention may be characterized by comprising the following essential elements: a) a first (inlet) conveyor (2) and a second (transport, carry-on or follow-up) conveyor (3), in a relative combination with each other, forming an inter-space, measurement window (7), suited for obtaining images of meat pieces while these meat pieces are passing over from, or falling down from the discharge end of the first conveyor (2) onto the second (carry-on) conveyor (3); and b) a machine vision system, executed on a processing means (10), comprising at least one upper (5) and at least one lower (6) camera, each camera capable of obtaining images of meat pieces falling down from the discharge end of the first conveyor (2) onto the second conveyor (3), and into the inter-space, measurement window (7).
The first and the second conveyor shall be positioned in a mutual combination that forms an inter-space, measurement window (7), suited for obtaining images of the falling meat objects from opposite sides/angles.
In combination, the upper (5) and lower (6) cameras are able to obtain images of the falling meat products from opposite sides/angles, while the meat pieces are
DK 180440 B1 4 ejected from the discharge end of the inlet conveyor (1) and falling down onto the second conveyor (3), thus passing through the inter-space, measurement window (7). The conveyor belts (2, 3) may be placed in varying heights relative to each other, thereby creating inter-space, measurement windows (7) of various sizes, as indicated by the dotted lines (7) in Figs. 1a and 1b, and the cameras may directed towards this measurement window from different angles, e.g. from an almost vertical direction to an almost horizontal direction, as indicated by the dotted lines (11) in Figs. la and 1b.
The machine vision system The inspection system of the invention makes use of a machine vision system, executed on a processing means (10).
Machine vision represents a combination of hardware and software capable of providing operational guidance to other devices, based on the capture and processing of images, and usually rely on digital sensors protected inside industrial cameras, with specialised optics to acquire images, so that computer hardware and software can process, analyse and measure various characteristics for decision making.
The machine vision system for use according to the invention preferably is based on multi-spectral imaging.
A multi-spectral camera is one that captures image data within specific wavelength ranges across the electromagnetic spectrum. The wavelengths may be separated by filters, or by use of instruments that are sensitive to particular wavelengths, including light from frequencies beyond the visible light range, such as infrared and ultra- violet. Spectral imaging can allow extraction of information that the human eye fails to capture with its receptors for red, green and blue (RGB). Multi-spectral images thus may include RGB (visible/colour images) and RGB/IR (visible/colour images combined with infra reed images).
Multi-spectral imaging measures light in a small number (typically 3 to 15) of spectral bands.
Multi-spectral imaging can also be accomplished by using camera(s) sensitive to all the relevant spectral bands, and sequentially illuminating the object with each spectral band, while capturing a frame for each band.
Machine vision systems essentially comes in three main categories: 1D vision analyses a digital signal one line at a time, instead of looking at a whole picture at once, and is accomplished by use of a line-scanner; 2D vision is looking at the whole picture, and may be accomplished by use of an industrial camera; and
DK 180440 B1 3D vision systems typically comprise multiple cameras or one or more laser displacement sensors.
In one embodiment, the machine vision system for use according to this invention involves the use of a 1D vision device, i.e. a line-scan camera.
5 In another embodiment, the upper camera (5) and upper light source (8) for use according to the invention, are supplied with vision equipment in the form of a DynaCQ™ equipment (5x), commercially available from Danish Technological Institute, Denmark.
Vision processing Processing is the mechanism for extracting information from a digital image and may take place externally in a PC-based system, or internally in a standalone vision system. Processing is performed by machine vision software and may consist of several steps. First, an image is acquired from the sensor. Next, the software locates the specific features, runs measurements, and compares these to the specification. Finally, a decision is made, and the results are communicated.
Machine vision software, supporting a wide range of operating systems and providing interfaces to a variety of industrial cameras and frame grabbers, are commercially available from various distributors.
Processing means For performing the necessary operations, the system of the invention must comprise a processing means (10), capable of processing the machine vision. The processing means for use according to the invention shall be in communication with, and receive inputs from, said upper (5) and lower (6) cameras, and shall be in communication with said first (2) and second (3) conveyor and be able to provide guidance to said conveyors.
The light source The meat products to be analysed according to the invention is illuminated from the top and the bottom with diode light (LED light), that emits light adjusted to the frequencies that the cameras are able to see.
The machine vision system for use according to the invention may comprise a light source capable of emitting electromagnetic waves in the ranges of from about 350 nm to about 1700 nm to (i.e. from UV to shortwave-infrared regions), and a sensor capable of receiving electromagnetic waves within the same ranges.
Scraping tools
DK 180440 B1 6 Another aspect related to the handling of meat products, is soiling of the machinery. Meat products often have humid or liquid film layers on their surface, that will stick to the supporting belt surface, and contaminate equipment located within a certain distance, including any cameras.
In order to allow the cameras to function properly according to the invention, it is recommended to mount scraping tools (12) underneath the conveyors, intended to ensure that the lower camera (6) can be in action without being smeared with meat and juice from the above inlet conveyor (2). The scraping tool of the invention is preferably mounted underneath the conveyor, i.e. just after the edge when the belt start running backwards, after the meat products have been unloaded the inlet conveyor (2).
The scraper (12) for use according to the invention may also secure that no meat products, accidentally sticking hard to the belt surface, are brought backwards with the conveyor belt, but is safely delivered from the first conveyor (2) to the second conveyor (3).
Vibration separators For securing maximum exposure of the surface of the meat products, an even distribution of the incoming meat products should be sought. This may be accomplished by use of a vibration separator (13), placed on the process line immediately before the first (inlet) conveyor (2).
Therefore, in another embodiment, the system of the invention further comprises a vibration separator (13), located on-line, before said first (inlet) conveyor (2).
The method of the invention In another aspect, the invention relates to a method for performing dual-side inspection of meat products, i.e. while on the fly, and being transported by a conveyor.
The method of the invention may include inspection of meat products, e.g. for determination of product ID, determination of quality characteristics, the presence of foreign objects, etc.
The method of the invention for dual-side inspection of meat products may be characterised by comprising the subsequent steps of: a. supplying the meat products on a first, in-let conveyor belt (2); b. un-loading said meat products by passing these meat products over from, or dropping the meat products from the discharge end of said first conveyor (2), thus passing over, or falling down through an inter-space, measurement window (7), and down onto a second conveyor belt (3);
DK 180440 B1 7 c. subjecting the meat products to recordings by a dual-side machine vision system (1), while the meat products are leaving the discharge end of the first conveyor (2) and falling down through an inter-space, measurement window (7), and down onto a second conveyor belt (3); and d. disposal of meat pieces or parts of meat pieces with deviating characteristics, as determined by the dual-side machine vision system (1).
In the method of the invention, the first in-let conveyor belt (2), conveying the products to the discharge end of this first conveyor, according to step a, and the second conveyor belt (3), receiving the falling meat products, according to step b, are positioned in a relative combination with each other, thereby creating an inter-space (7), suited for obtaining images of passing or falling meat pieces.
The machine vision system for use in step c according to the method of the invention is a dual-side machine vision system (1), executed on a processing means (10), comprising at least one upper (5) and at least one lower (6) camera, each camera capable of obtaining one or more images of meat pieces falling down from the discharge end of the first conveyor (2) onto the second conveyor (3), and into the inter-space, measurement window (7).
Parts or pieces of meat products with deviating characteristics, as determined by the dual-side machine vision system (1), may be removed, e.g. by bringing the conveyor belts (2 and 3) to a halt, or, alternatively, by running the conveyor belt (3) backwards, so that the deviating object may be carried to a waste bin located underneath the inter- space, measurement window (7), or the products with deviating characteristics may be removed by a grabbing tool, e.g. a grabbing tool mounted on a robot or robotic arm, and/or a robot or robotic arm mounted with a suction device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention is further illustrated by reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figs. 1a and 1b shows two alternative system installations (1) according to the invention, wherein (2) represents the inlet conveyor, (3) represents the outlet conveyor, the arrow (4) represents the direction of transportation of the conveyed meat products, (5) represents a an upper camera, (6) represents a lower camera, the dotted line (7) represents location of the measurement window, (8) represents an upper light source, (9) represents a lower light source, and the dotted line (11) indicates possible (alternative) camera/light positioning angles; Fig. 2 shows part of a system according (1) to the invention, wherein (2) represents the inlet conveyor, (3) represents the outlet conveyor, (6x) represents a lower camera (6)
DK 180440 B1 8 combined with one or more lower light sources (9), and the dotted line (7) represents location of the measurement window; Fig. 3 shows an alternative system installation according to the invention, wherein (2) represents the inlet conveyor, (3) represents the outlet conveyor, (5x) represents the upper camera (5) combined with one or more upper light sources (8), (6x) represents a lower camera (6) combined with one or more lower light sources (9), and (15) represents an operator; Fig. 4 shows an alternative system installation according to the invention, wherein (2) represents the inlet conveyor, (3) represents the outlet conveyor, (5x) represents the upper camera (5) combined with one or more upper light sources (8), (6x) represents a lower camera (6) combined with one or more lower light sources (9), (13) represents a commodity supply belt, (14) represents a vibration separator system, and (15) represents operators; and Fig. 5 shows an embodiment of a scraping tool (12) mounted at the discharge end of the infeed conveyor belt (2). List of reference signs In the figures, identical structures, elements or parts that appear in more than one figure are generally labelled with the same numeral in all the figures in which they appear.
1. Dual-side vision inspection system of the invention
2. First conveyor/inlet conveyor
3. Second conveyor/transport, carry-on or follow-up conveyor 4, Direction of transportation
5. Upper camera(s) 5x. Upper camera + light(s)
6. Lower camera(s) 6x. Lower camera + light(s)
7. Inter-space, measurement window
8. Upper light source(s)
9. Lower light source(s)
10. Processing means
11. Camera/light positioning angles
12. Scraping tool
13. Commodity supply belt
14. Vibration separator system
15. Operator

Claims (7)

DK 180440 B1 1 PatentkravDK 180440 B1 1 Patent claim 1. Et system (1) til dobbeltsidig inspektion på en linje af kødprodukter, hvilket system er kendetegnet ved at omfatte: a) et første (2) og et andet (3) transportbånd, som i kombination med hinanden skaber et mellemrum (7), der giver mulighed for at opnå billeder af kødstykker i mellemrummet, mens de falder fra udløbsenden af det første transportbånd (2) ned på det andet transportbånd (3); og b) et maskine-billedgenkendelses-system, afviklet på en procesbehandlings indretning (10), der omfatter et eller flere øvre (5) og et eller flere nedre (6) kameraer, hvor hvert kamera er i stand til at opnå billeder af de faldende kødstykker.A double-sided inspection system (1) on a line of meat products, characterized system comprising: a) a first (2) and a second (3) conveyor belt, which in combination create a space (7) , which makes it possible to obtain images of pieces of meat in the gap as they fall from the outlet end of the first conveyor belt (2) down onto the second conveyor belt (3); and b) a machine image recognition system, wound on a process processing device (10), comprising one or more upper (5) and one or more lower (6) cameras, each camera being capable of obtaining images of the falling pieces of meat. 2. Systemet ifølge krav 1, hvori maskine-billedgenkendelses-system er et multi- spektralt billeddannelsessystem.The system of claim 1, wherein the machine image recognition system is a multi-spectral imaging system. 3. Systemet ifølge krav 1, hvori det ene eller flere øvre eller nedre kameraer er linje-scanningskameraer. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more upper or lower cameras are line scan cameras. 4, Systemet ifølge et hvilket som helst af kravene 1-3, hvilket system endvidere omfatter et skrabeværktøj (12), som er monteret ved udløbsenden af indløbs-transport- båndet (2).The system according to any one of claims 1-3, which system further comprises a scraping tool (12) mounted at the outlet end of the inlet conveyor belt (2). 5. Systemet ifølge et hvilket som helst af kravene 1-4, hvilket system endvidere omfatter en vibrationsseparator (13), der er placeret på linjen, forud for det første transportbånd (2).The system of any of claims 1-4, further comprising a vibration separator (13) located on the line preceding the first conveyor belt (2). 6. En metode til dobbeltsidig inspektion på en linje af kødprodukter, hvilken metode er kendetegnet ved at omfatte de på-hinanden-følgende trin: a. tilvejebringelse af kødprodukter på et første tilførsels-transportbånd (2); b. aflæsning af kødprodukterne ved at lade kødprodukterne falde fra udledningsenden af det nævnte første tilførsels-transportbånd (2), således at de falder ned gennem et målevindue i mellemrummet (7), og ned på et andet transportbånd (3); c. lave optagelser af kødprodukterne ved hjælp af et dobbeltsidigt maskine- billedgenkendelses-system (1), mens kødprodukterne forlader udledningsenden af den første transportør (2) og falder ned gennem et målevindue i mellemrummet (7), og ned på det andet transportbånd (3); og d. bortskaffelse af kødstykker, eller dele af kødstykker, med afvigende egenskaber, som fastslået af det dobbeltsidige maskine-billedgenkendelses-system (1).A method for double-sided inspection on a line of meat products, which method is characterized by comprising the successive steps: a. Providing meat products on a first supply conveyor belt (2); b. unloading the meat products by dropping the meat products from the discharge end of said first supply conveyor belt (2) so that they fall down through a measuring window in the space (7), and down on a second conveyor belt (3); c. make recordings of the meat products using a double-sided machine image recognition system (1), while the meat products leave the discharge end of the first conveyor (2) and fall down through a measuring window in the space (7), and down on the second conveyor belt ( 3); and d. Disposal of pieces of meat, or parts of pieces of meat, having different characteristics, as determined by the double-sided machine image recognition system (1). DK 180440 B1 2DK 180440 B1 2 7. Anvendelse af systemet ifglge et hvilket som helst af kravene 1-5, i fremgangsmaden ifglge krav 6.Use of the system according to any one of claims 1-5, in the method according to claim 6.
DKPA201901038A 2019-09-02 2019-09-02 On-line determination of quality characteristics of meat products DK180440B1 (en)

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Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20210100256A1 (en) * 2019-10-02 2021-04-08 Prospection Solutions, LLC Foreign Material Inspection System

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20210100256A1 (en) * 2019-10-02 2021-04-08 Prospection Solutions, LLC Foreign Material Inspection System

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