FR2756396A1 - IDENTIFICATION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING AN OBJECT - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention concerns an identifier and a method in identification of an object. The identifier comprises a source of light (13), from which a strip of light of uniform thickness is produced onto the face of the object to be identified. Said strip of light or beam of light (12) produced onto the face of the object is monitored by means of a colour differentiation device (17), which receives the ray of light reflected from the face of the object. By means of signals produced by means of the colour differentiation device (17), colour codes are produced out of different face areas of the monitored object, which codes are compared with color codes of objects to be identified stored in the memory of the central unit of the device, in which connection of the object is identified on the basis of the comparison.

Description

IDENTIFICATION DEVICE AND IDENTIFICATION METHOD
OF AN OBJECT
The invention relates to an identification device and a method for identifying an object.

 As is well known, bottles of beverages, beers and the like are transported and stored in crates. The boxes are generally the property of a certain brewery or the like and are used in a return system.

 In some cases, it is necessary to identify and sort cases belonging to different owners. In other respects, the boxes may have a similar construction and shape, but they differ from each other by the presence of a logo placed on the side face. Previously, it was necessary to manually identify and sort such boxes, which was time consuming and therefore led to high costs.

 In the most general embodiment of the present invention, the object of the invention is expressly to identify objects. Here the term "objects" should be generally considered to mean products, packaging, containers, etc. A particular field of application of the present invention is the identification of returnable cases for bottles and in particular cases which contain returnable bottles, in connection with an automatic machine for handling returnable cases.

 Another object of the invention is to provide a device and a method which are as reliable as possible and do not require a precise position of the box, that is to say a precise distance between the box and the side of the conveyor. . Another object of the invention is to provide a device and a method, with the help of which it is possible to classify cases on the basis of secondary details, also when their main logo is identical, but their lateral faces have certain differences in symbols or designs, on the basis of which they are differentiated.

 In the present patent application, an identification device is described, which is suitable for the differentiation of all objects, products, packaging, etc. based on a color. The invention is particularly well suited for identifying cases, such as cases for bottles. In particular, the invention is suitable for use in connection with automatic machines for returning cases, in which case the return machine identifies, outside the case, also returned bottles contained in the case and produces an acknowledgment of receipt of return and / or issue deposit money and / or a pledge or any other certificate relating to the return, i.e. cases and bottles. The device according to the invention is arranged so as to be protected from light, an interfering light coming from the outside not constituting an obstacle to the identification of the box.

 According to the invention, the box is placed on a conveyor and is transferred at an invariable speed in front of the identification device. The identification device sends a strip of light onto the face of the body, and the light beam which, at said strip of light, is reflected by reflection back into the device, is examined on the basis of the proportions of three colors. red, green and blue. Samples of the body are taken at each particular point of the lengthwise extension of the side wall of the body, at distances of about two millimeters, the average color of the body being obtained at said point of the length lengthways. The device does not have to identify the colors separately in the vertical direction. Samples are taken approximately 100 times per second.

 In the solution formed by the device according to the present invention, a beam of light is sent to the face of the body and said beam extends over a substantial part of the height of the lateral face of the body. During the identification of the color of the box, the conveyor moves at an invariable speed so that the beam of light scans a substantial part of the lateral face of the box.

 In the method according to the invention, after the reading indicated above, a compensation is executed with the data relating to cash registers previously programmed and stored in the memory of the device. Thanks to the calculation algorithm, tests are preferably carried out on the basis of the basic color of the body, a logo located on the body and also advantageously on the basis of a certain particular point present on the face. side of the body. In the method and the solution of the equipment according to the invention, a lateral face of the box is examined. The light beam moves vertically and is arranged perpendicular to the plane of the upper conveying face of the conveyor, preferably a belt conveyor. The identification of the color on the side of the body preferably begins to the right of the front edge of the body and stops approximately 100 mm before the other vertical edge of the body.

 The problem is solved according to a first aspect of the invention using an identification device, characterized in that this device comprises a light source, from which a strip of light of uniform thickness is produced on the face of the object to be identified, and in that said strip of light or said beam of light produced on the face of the object is controlled by means of a device for differentiating colors, which receive the ray of light reflected from the face of the object, and in that, by means of signals produced by means of the color differentiation device, color codes are produced from different areas of the face of the controlled object, which codes are compared with color codes of objects to be identified, stored in the memory of the central unit of the device, the object being identified on the basis of the comparison.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, the object to be identified is a box.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, the device comprises a conveyor, on which the object to be identified is moved in front of the color identification point.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, the light strip or the light beam is produced by a light source, preferably a light source which produces white light, by means of optical fibers.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, the ends of the optical fibers are inserted into a beam of light so that the ends of the optical fibers are arranged side by side and the ray of light exiting from these fibers forms a strip of light which, by means of a light, is formed in the form of a beam of light having a uniform thickness on the rear face of the object.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, the light strip or the light beam extends in the vertical direction on the face of the object and said light beam has an invariable width, which is in the range of 5 ... 20 mm.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, the color differentiation unit, which receives the light, comprises filters and detectors arranged downstream of these filters, the filters being placed side by side and being mounted so as to taking a sample from each beam of light during a measurement cycle, which sample is transferred by the filter into the detector associated with each filter, and the filters being mounted so as to allow the passage of red light towards the associated detector , detector which produces a voltage value corresponding to said signal and another digital value, and the filter, which allows the passage of green light, is connected to the detector, which measures the intensity of said light component and converts it into a voltage, and the filter, which allows the passage of blue light, is connected to the detector, which detects said light component and which converts the proportion of said light component in the sample to a voltage value, which can be further converted to a numerical value, and in this way from each location along the side of the case, a code of the average color corresponding to said point located on the side of the body is formed.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, the filters located in the color differentiation unit and the associated detectors are arranged side by side (when looking in the direction of transfer of the object to be identified) and under the form of a single integrated unit.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, the identification unit of the color differentiation unit is mounted so as to receive / read the strip of light produced on the face of the object to be identified from a reading area, which has the shape of a pyramid and at the point of which the identification unit of the color differentiation unit is placed.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, this device comprises a central unit and inside this unit, a memory, called a library, in which the different color codes of the zones for identifying the types of objects to be identified have been memorized in advance, which identification zones comprise the zone for the location of a logo provided on the face of the object, on the lateral face (zone) of the object, and preferably also an zone which indicates the base color of the object on the side face of the object and further preferably a third zone located on the side face of the object, which zone comprises a certain specific characteristic present on the side face of said object to be identified , such as a letter, label, or the like.

 According to another characteristic of the invention, upstream of the color differentiation unit and upstream of the point at which the light beam meets the lateral face of the body, the device comprises a distance measuring device, at the using which the distance between the side face of the object to be identified and the identification unit of the color differentiation unit is measured.

 According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a method of identifying an object, characterized in that the average color of the lateral face of the object to be identified is detected at different points of the extent in length over the side of the object in a certain zone over the length extent of the object, and in that the average color code of said zone is calculated from the color codes taken from said zone, and the code of the average color thus obtained is compared, by means of an algorithm or the like, to the codes of a corresponding zone situated on the object to be identified stored in the memory of the central unit of the device, memory in which the data concerning the color codes of the different types of objects to be identified have been memorized in advance.

 According to another characteristic, a reading area located on the face of the object to be identified corresponds to the area where the logo is placed on the face of the object to be identified.

 According to another characteristic, a reading area on the face of the object has been chosen so as to correspond to the basic average color of the lateral face of the object, the color of which is read.

 According to another characteristic, the voltages, which indicate different colors, produced by the detectors, are converted by means of conversion graphs into what are called values of standard color codes, conversion graphs having been determined separately for each device, and conversion graphs exist / have been created for each color and for each distance from the body from the identification unit, in which case, based on the distance from the body measured in the process of Identification, a standard color code is produced both when color code values are stored in the memory of the device and a case to be identified is read.

 According to another characteristic, a reading zone situated on the face of the object is defined over the lengthwise length of the lateral face of the object, zone in which a certain specific sign appears, such as a letter, a figure, drawing or the like.

 According to another characteristic, the object to be identified is a box.

 According to another characteristic, the box to be identified is moved and the box is arranged on the conveyor so that its longitudinal axis is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the conveyor and a light strip or a light beam of thickness uniform is produced by a light source on the face of the body to be identified, and the light beam is mounted so as to extend vertically on the side face of the body, and said light beam is controlled by means of the color differentiation unit.

 By using a device according to the invention, it is in particular possible to identify and differentiate reliably boxes on the basis of a color, in which case considerable savings are made from the point of view of cost and time.

 The device according to the invention also allows automatic sorting of cases in different applications.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the description given below taken with reference to the appended drawings, in which
- Figure 1A is a side elevational view of a device according to the invention;
- Figure 1B shows the device seen in the direction of arrow k1 in Figure lA;
- Figure 1C shows the device, in the direction of arrow k2 in Figure lA;
- Figure 1D shows the device seen in the direction of arrow k3 in Figure lA;
- Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of the main component of the device according to the invention;
- Figures 3A, 3B and 3C illustrate the step-by-step operation of the device according to the invention;
- Figure 4A shows the light strip, that is to say the light beam, which is a vertical illuminated area, preferably in the form of a parallelogram, on the side face of the body during the step of the Figure 3A, Figure 4B shows the light beam during the step of Figure 3B and Figure 4C shows the light beam during the step of Figure 3C;
- Figure 5 shows a side face identified by a color, of a box in the form of voltage variation curves;
- Figure 6A illustrates the reading of the color matrix of the body and the previous measurement of the distance from the body;
- Figure 6B shows the identification unit of the color identification device, this unit being a separate integrated component comprising color filters and detectors;
- Figure 6C illustrates the color matrix on the side face of a box;
- Figure 6D shows conversion graphics for normalization of color codes; and
- Figure 7 shows the equipment in conjunction with an automatic box return machine.

 FIG. 1A represents a side elevation view of a device according to the invention. The invention is suitable for identifying objects, in general. However, the invention is applicable in particular to the identification of cases. The box 10 is placed on the conveyor 11 and is transferred to the upper part of the conveyor 11, preferably a belt conveyor, and is also introduced into the reading zone 200 of the color differentiation unit 14 (arrow of transfer direction = L1). The reading area 200 consists of the space in the shape of a pyramid defined by lines formed by dashes in the figure, and in this area the unit 14 can read the light beam 12 which is produced on the face of the body 10. It is essential that the light beam 12 is produced on the lateral face îOa of the body 10 in the space defined by the pyramid 200. In the space defined by the pyramid 200, at any location on the edge of in space or inside, the color differentiation unit 14 can read the light beam 12 produced by the light source 13 on the lateral face 10a of the body 10.

 FIG. 1B represents the device seen in the direction of arrow k1 in FIG. 1A, that is to say according to a plan view. As shown in FIG. 1B, the body 10 has reached the reading area 200 and the beam 12 has been produced by the light source 13 in the color differentiation unit 14. White light is produced by the light source 13 and circulates in the cables 18a1, 18a2 or 18a3 formed by optical fibers or in optical fibers. The optical fibers 18a1, 18a2, ... have been subdivided along a vertical line in a beam of light and from the ends of the fibers placed side by side, the light is then transmitted to a lens 19. The lens forms a strip of light or a beam of light of uniform thickness from the light, this beam being directed towards the lateral face 10a of the body 10. In this way a ray of light S1 is directed by the light source 13 on the face of the body 10, and the ray of reflected light is received by means of the detectors 17a, 17b and 17c.

 Figure 1C shows the device as seen in the direction of arrow k2 in Figure 1A.

As shown in this figure, the pyramid-shaped reading area 200 is mounted in the device so that the detection device 17a, 17b, 17c, which receives the reflected ray of light B2, is arranged in the area which is located in the middle of the height range S1 of the body 10. In this way it is possible to obtain a reading accuracy as good as possible.

As shown in FIG. 1C, the ends of the optical fibers 18al, 18a2, 18a3, 18a4 and 18a5 have been arranged so that they are located in the same vertical position and the white light produced by these fibers is transmitted and collected by means of a lens 19 so that a strip or a beam of light 12 of uniform thickness is formed, from the light, on the face 10a of the box 10.

 FIG. 1D is an illustration considered in the direction of the arrow k3 in FIG. 1A, that is to say perpendicular to the transfer direction T1 of the conveyor. As shown in the illustration given by way of illustration, the detection device 17a, 17b, 17c is arranged at the top of the reading area, that is to say of the reading pyramid. All the beams 12 reflected in the area of the pyramid in the space defined by the lateral faces and the base of the pyramid and on said faces can be read by means of the detection device 17a, 17b, 17c, in accordance with the invention. The light beam 12 is designed so as to be directed on the face of the box so that it extends substantially over the length of the side wall of the box, in the vertical direction.

 In the embodiment taken by way of example and represented in FIG. 2, the box 10 is arranged on the conveyor 11. A beam of light 12 is projected on the lateral face 10a of the box 10, from a light source 13, which transmits a light beam S1 of white light towards the face of the body.

The light ray S1 is reflected by the side face 10a of the body, and the reflected light ray S2 is transferred to the color differentiation unit 14, in which the color code is produced. This code is compared with the stored color codes, which are present in the memory 15a of the central unit 15, that is to say in what is called the library, and in this way, if the codes match , the type of box is identified. The color differentiation unit 14 comprises filters 16a, 16b, 16c and, downstream of these filters, detectors 17a, 17b, 17c, which measure the proportions of red, blue and green light in the reflected light
When objects are identified in general, such as packaging, containers, packages, etc. before identification, the codes of the objects to be identified are programmed in the library 15a of the central unit 15.

 In the embodiment of Figure 2 taken by way of example, the box 10 is arranged on the conveyor 11. At an appropriate distance from the light source 13 and by means of a fiber optic cable 18, it that is to say the optical fibers 18al, 18a2 ... and the lens 19, a ray S1 of white light is transmitted on the lateral face l0a of the body 10, and the ray of reflected light S2 is transmitted to the device 14 of color differentiation and in the latter to the color differentiation unit 300. The color of the body is measured and color codes (R, G, B, i.e. red, green, blue) are produced for the body 10, these codes being compared with the previously stored color codes ( R ', G', B ') of different boxes in the memory 4a of the central unit 15. If the measured data correspond to the stored data, the type of box is identified and the reaction corresponding to the identification is ie the type of case, is produced for example an acknowledgment of receipt / money or the like.

 As shown in FIG. 2, a ray S1 of white light is applied by the light source to the face of the body 10. Thanks to the fiber optic cable, the reflected light S2 is processed in the direction of its width D so that three constituent samples a1, a2, a3 are obtained from this light. The width D of the light beam 12 is preferably in the range of 5 to 20 mm. The samples a11 a2, a3 are filtered in the filters 16, 16a, 16b and 16c, in which the samples a1, a2, a3 are filtered in relation to the colors red (R), green (G) and blue (B).

Filter 16a lets red light through (R), filter 16b lets through blue light (B) and filter 16c lets through green light (G). The detector 17a is arranged downstream of the filter 16a, and the detector 17b is arranged downstream of the filter 16b and the detector 17c is arranged downstream of the filter 16c. The detectors 17a, 17b and 17c detect the percentage of each light component R,
G, B in the sample, for example by measuring the intensities of the filtered light components. In this way, the proportion of each color can be measured, thereby obtaining a three-value color code for the light measured. The color code, which is obtained, is compared with the known color code stored in the memory 15a of the central unit 15, and as a result of the comparison, the type of the case 10 can be defined on the basis of these colors. In this way, the box 10 can be identified and sorted.

 Figures 3A, 3B, 3C illustrate the transfer of the body through the reading area 200 (what is called the reading pyramid). In FIG. 3A, the identification of the box has started, from the vertical edge of the box. From the start of the box, ie from zone A "'... A" ", it is possible to modify the general color of the box.

 In FIG. 3B, the light strip or the light beam 12 is already located in the central zone of the body, in which zone the logo provided on the body is generally arranged, and in FIG. 3C, in the longitudinal direction of the box, the end zone of the box has been reached, area in which the reading can be interrupted for example before the final edge of the box 10.

 FIG. 4A represents the reading step which corresponds to FIG. 3A and in which the bundle 12 is placed at the level of the entry edge of the box.

 FIG. 4B represents the location of the beam 12, which corresponds to FIG. 3B, on the colored logo (LO) provided on the face of the body, and FIG. 4C represents the location of the beam 12 in the final area of the side wall 10a of the case 10, where the reading can be stopped.

 In the device according to the invention, a reading zone is used, arranged in the form of a pyramid or a trunk of a pyramid, and an elongated strip of light or an elongated beam of light 12, which beam of light is produced. by a light source 13 which sends a white light via optical fiber cables, that is to say optical fibers 18a1, 18a2, 18a3 ... on the side face lOa of the body 10. A advantage of this solution is that the location of the box 10 relative to the strand of the conveyor belt 11 is not very important. It is extremely important that the longitudinal axis X1 of the box is parallel to the longitudinal axis X2 of the conveyor 11, in which case what is designated by the expression "angular errors" which reduce the reading pressure is avoided.

 The device 14 reads the color of the side face 10a of the box 10 from the reading point A1 to the reading point A2. Reading is carried out by reading the colors of the light beam at a certain time interval with frequent sampling, for example at distances of 2 mm, from one end to the other in the reading area A1. . .A2 on the body. In this way, a large part of the lateral face of the box can be read, and a combination R, G, B of color codes of the medium color corresponding to each position on the lengthwise extent of the box, which is read, can be produced. Said code (R, G, B) can be produced in the form of a voltage value and further in the form of a numerical value.

The identification of the logo (LO) placed on the body 10, for example in the position shown in FIGS. 3B-4B, can be performed so that the colors R, G, B are detected on a certain area of the extended in length of the side wall lOa of the body, for example in zone A '... A ". This zone
A '... A "is previously selected according to the location of the LO logo so that the test area, i.e. the sample, represents the most typical location of appearance of the Finally, the average value of the color values of the color beams measured from the area A '... A "is calculated, this average value representing the logo identification code (LO) of the type of box concerned. . The measurement process is similar for example in relation to the general color of the body (zone A "'... A"") and in relation to specific colors or specific characteristics of the body.

Consequently, when the types of cash registers to be identified are transferred into the memory 15a of the central processing unit 15, that is to say what is called the library, the programming of said identification data is executed in such a way that the characteristic elements associated with each case are issued from certain areas and therefore, when the cases to be identified are tested, the identification data
R1, G1, B1; R2, G2, B3; R31 G3, B3 obtained / measured are compared by means of an identification algorithm stored in memory 15a and if the color codes of the average color of certain zones and / or of the entire surface of the body 10 to be identified can be set to correspond to a certain combination of color codes of a type of case stored in the memory of the central unit with a certain tolerance, said identification is accepted, and the identification of the case is recorded as having been executed.

 When a box type is identified, preferably three different tests are carried out. From the body to be measured, the basic color of the identified body, by an algorithm, a) the basic color of the body is identified. This can be detected, for example, by detecting the front area of the vertical face of the body. A second test is executed at the level of the logo (LO), that is to say that a certain zone of the cash register to be identified is tested, and the data are compared with the values of corresponding zones memorized in what is called the cash register library in the device memory. c) As a test, it is possible

 In the device and in the method according to the present invention, the box passes at a color identification point at a fixed speed under the effect of the movement of the strand 11a of the conveyor belt 11 at a fixed speed. The identification of the box is carried out while the strip and consequently the box placed on the strip move continuously. This is why, during the measurement step, when the color matrix is determined, the case is not stopped separately, but the measurement step is carried out continuously and the movement of the case during the process of measurement is uniform.

 FIG. 5 represents the signal data relating to a type of body measured color by color. The broken line f1 represents the intensity of the signal measured for the color red over the distance from the wall of the body. The broken line f2 represents the intensity of the signal measured for the color green and the broken line f3 represents the intensity of the signal measured for the color blue, over the lengthwise length of the side wall of the body.

 FIG. 6A represents a detection device according to the invention, in which, as shown in the figure, the light beam 12 and the light reflected from this beam are examined by the identification unit 300 of the device 14 for identifying colors, this unit being constituted by a single integrated component which comprises fibers 16a, 16b, 16c arranged side by side and by detectors 17a, 17b, 17c placed in direct communication with the filters. The identification unit 300 is formed from a single integrated component.

 In FIG. 6A, the measuring device 500 is shown as being located upstream from the device 14 for identifying colors, when looking in the direction of transfer of the box. Using the measuring device 500, the distance between the body and the identification unit 300 is measured. Consequently, the distance between the light beam 12 located on the surface of the body and the identification unit 300 is expressly measured. Each device is the subject of a separate calibration for the establishment of conversion curves which are specific to each device.

 In the method according to the invention, the voltage values delivered by the various detectors 17a, 17b and 17c in the unit 300 are, so to speak, normalized on reflection percentages in a range between 0 and 100.

 FIG. 6B shows the color differentiation unit 300 of the color differentiation device 14, which unit comprises filters 16a, 16b, 16c arranged side by side and, downstream of each of the filters, a detector 17a, 17b and 17c associated with each of the filters, the voltage indicating each color being able to be transmitted directly from each of these detectors for further processing, during which the voltage can be converted into a digital reading value. The filters 16a, 16b and 16c have been integrated into the associated detectors 17a, 17b and 17c in the form of a single plate.

 FIG. 6C illustrates the formation of a color matrix formed of the color values on the lateral face 10a of the box 10. The device 500, which measures the distance between the color identification unit 300 and the lateral face 10a of the box 10 is arranged in front of the unit 300, when looking in the direction of transfer of the box. The measuring device can operate on the basis of any principle. It can be an ultrasonic measurement device, an electrical measurement device, a light emission / reception device, etc.

 As shown in Figure 6D, the conversion is as follows. The voltages, which arrive from the detectors 17a, 17b and 17c in the unit 300, are read. In what follows, we examine for example the red light, that is to say the light arriving from the detector 17a.

The voltage value is read from the horizontal X coordinate system in FIG. 6D and, when the distance between the body and the color identification unit 300, measured by means of the device 500, is known, from the set of graphs of FIG. 6D, the graph corresponding to the distance which is read and is associated with the color R or G or B is chosen, namely the graphs fR ',', fB '' for the distance 1; the graphs fRt f fB f B for distance 2, graphs using which, as shown in this figure, we obtain what is called a normalized calibration value in the vertical system of coordinates Y.

 Consequently, the voltage which is delivered by a detector 17a or 17b or 17c, a detector which always indicates a certain color, corresponds to a graph corresponding to a certain measured distance and to a normalized value read in said graph. The figure represents the conversion of the voltage y 'by means of the graph fG' associated with the color green (G) and at the distance 1 in the code value X '.

 When the pieces 10 are read in the memory 15a of the device, during the reading step, the measurement of the distance from the box by means of the measuring device 500 is carried out and the values of the colors coming from the detector are converted during said reading step, by means of the conversion graphics fR s fG s fB i fGB fB tuned on the device considered, into standardized color code values, which have been calibrated in a range going from 0 to 100.

 Similarly, when the color of the side face of a returned box or a box to be treated in another way is read and when the color matrix of the side face 10a of the box is produced, this matrix being considered in the form of the values R, G, B at different points of length of the face of the body, that is to say over the extent in length of the lateral face of the body, said values are converted , directly during the formation of the color matrix, by means of the conversion described here, into normalized values.

 The conversion curves can be calculated for the device at certain regular distances, which appear during the transfer of the body, and the distances and intermediate values are obtained mathematically, for example by means of an interpolation.

 Consequently, regardless of the distance from the body, on the basis of the conversion described here and on the basis of the measurement of the distance from the body, the color values of the returned body can be compared with the color values stored in the memory of the cases.

 The identification device 14 according to the invention is very well suited to be used in conjunction with automatic crate return devices, in their crate circulation tunnel, which is protected from light. Consequently, the device according to the invention can be used so that the automatic case return machine counts the returned bottles contained in the case, and the identification device according to the invention detects the type of case. It is obvious that the device can also be used separately for sorting and differentiating the boxes alone.

 FIG. 7 shows the identification device according to the invention and its device 14 for differentiating colors in connection with an automatic machine 600 for returning the boxes. The identification device 14 is mounted in the tunnel T for circulation of the boxes in the machine 600, and thanks to the device P, by means of which the returned bottles, contained in the box 10, and the number of said bottles are identified, the distance between the box and the identification device 14 located on the side of the conveyor is also measured.

Claims (18)

 1. Identification device, characterized in that it comprises a light source (13), from which a strip of light of uniform thickness is produced on the face of the object to be identified, and in that said strip of light or said beam of light (12) produced on the face of the object is controlled by means of a device (17) for differentiating colors, which receives the ray of light (B2) reflected by the face of the object, and in that, by means of signals produced by means of the device (17) for color differentiation, color codes are produced from different areas of the face of the controlled object, which codes are compared to color codes of objects to be identified, stored in the memory (15a) of the central unit (15) of the device, the object being identified on the basis of the comparison.  2. Identification device according to claim 1, characterized in that the object (10) to be identified is a box.  3. Identification device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the device comprises a conveyor (11), on which the object (10) to be identified is moved in front of the color identification point .  4. Identification device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the light strip or the light beam (12) is produced by a light source (13), preferably a light source which produces white light, via optical fibers (18a1, 18a2, 18a3.  5. Identification device according to claim 4, characterized in that the ends of the optical fibers (18a1, 18a2 ...) are inserted in a beam of light (G) so that the ends of the optical fibers are arranged side- side by side and the ray of light exiting from these fibers forms a strip of light which, by means of a light (19), is formed in the form of a beam of light (12) having a uniform thickness on the rear face (l0a) of the object (10).  6. Identification device for identifying an object according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the light strip or the light beam (12) extends in the vertical direction on the face of the object (IO) and that said light beam (12) has an invariable width (D1), which is in the range of 5 ... 20 mm.  7. Identification device for identifying an object according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the unit (14) of color differentiation which receives the light comprises filters (16a, 16b, 16c) and detectors (17a, 17b, 17c) arranged downstream of these filters, the filters (16a, 16b, 16c) being placed side by side and being mounted so as to take a sample (a1, a2, a3) from each beam of light during a measurement cycle, sample which is transferred by the filter (16a, 16b, 16c) into the detector (17a, 17b, 17c) associated with each filter, and the filters (16a) being mounted so as to allow the passage of a red light in the direction of the associated detector (17a), a detector which produces a voltage value corresponding to said signal and another numerical value, in that the filter (16b) which allows the passage of green light is connected to the detector (17b) which measures the intensity of said component d e light and converts it into a voltage, in that the filter (16c) which authorizes the passage of blue light is connected to the detector (17c) which detects said light component and which converts the proportion of said light component in the 'sample into a voltage value which can be further converted into a digital value, and in that way from each location along the side of the object, a code (R, G, 9, c' i.e. red, green, blue) of the average color corresponding to said point located on the side of the object is formed.  8. Identification device for identifying an object according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the filters (16a, 16b, 16c) located in the unit (14) for differentiating colors and the associated detectors (17a, 17b, 17c) are arranged side by side (when looking in the direction of transfer of the object to be identified) and in the form of a single integrated unit.  9. Identification device for identifying an object according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the identification unit (16a, 16b, 16c, 17a, 17b, 17c) of the unit (14) for differentiating colors is mounted so as to receive / read the strip of light produced on the face of the object (10) to be identified from a reading area which has the shape of a pyramid and at the level of the tip from which the identification unit (300; 16a, 16b, 16c, 17a, 17b, 17c) of the color differentiation unit (14) is placed.  10. Identification device for identifying an object according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that this device comprises a central unit (15) and inside this unit, a memory (15a), called library, in which the different color codes (R ', G', B ') of the identification zones of types of objects to be identified have been stored in advance, which identification zones include the location zone of 'a logo (LO) provided on the face of the object, on the lateral face (zone A' .. A ") of the object (10), and preferably also an area which indicates the basic color of the object on the side face of the object and further preferably a third zone located on the side face of the obblet, which zone comprises a certain characteristic feature present on the side face of said object to be identified, such as for example a letter, label or the like.  11. Identification device for identifying an object according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that upstream of the unit (14) for differentiating colors and upstream of the point at which the light beam ( 12) meets the lateral face of the object, the device comprises a distance measuring device (500) using which the distance between the lateral face of the object to be identified and the identification unit (300) of the color differentiation unit (14) is measured.  12. Method for identifying an object, characterized in that the average color of the lateral face of the object to be identified is detected at different points in the lengthwise extent on the side (10a) of the object in a certain area (A '... A ") over the lengthwise length of the object, and in that the average color code of said zone (A'. .A") is calculated from the color codes taken of said area, and the average color code thus obtained is compared, by means of an algorithm or the like, with the codes of a corresponding area located on the object to be identified stored in the memory (15a) of the unit central (15) of the device, memory in which the data concerning the color codes of the different types of objects to be identified have been stored in advance.  13. Method according to claim 12, characterized in that a reading area (A '... A ") located on the face of the object to be identified corresponds to the location area of the logo (LO) on the face of the object (10) to be identified.  14. Method according to claim 12, character ized in that a reading area on the face of the object (10) has been chosen so as to correspond to the average basic color of the lateral face of the object ( 10), the color of which is read.  15. Method for identifying an object (10) according to claims 12 to 14 taken as a whole, characterized in that the voltages which indicate different colors, produced by the detectors (17a, 17b, 17c), are converted by means conversion graphics (fR ', fG', fB '; fR, fG, fB ...), in what are called normalized color code values, conversion graphics having been determined separately for each device, and that conversion graphics (fR tfG tfB ifRtfGZfB) exist / have been created for each color (R, G, B) and for each distance of the object (12) from the identification unit (300), in which case, based on the distance from the object measured in the identification process, a standard color code is produced both when color code values are stored in the memory (15a) of the device and when an object (10) to be identified is read.  16. Method according to claim 12, characterized in that a reading zone situated on the face of the object is defined over the lengthwise length of the lateral face of the object, zone in which a certain specific sign appears , such as a letter, - a number, a drawing or the like.  17. Method according to any one of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that the object to be identified is a box (10).  18. Method according to claim 17, characterized in that the box. (10) to be identified is moved and in that the box is placed on the conveyor so that its longitudinal axis (X1) is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis (X2) of the conveyor (11) and that a strip of light or a light beam (12) of uniform thickness is produced by a light source (13) on the face (10a) of the box (10) to be identified, and that the light beam (12) is mounted so as to extend vertically on the lateral face of the body, and that said light beam (12) is controlled by means of the color differentiation unit (14).