JP2004150956A - Sample alignment device for grain image reader - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a sample alignment device for a grain image reader, with which grains as a sample can be placed simply and quickly on a sample base, in an aligned state. <P>SOLUTION: The sample alignment device 150 is provided with a sample alignment stage 170, composed of a tray 172 and a pair of guide rails 176. An inclined section 172C of the tray 172 is inclined at a prescribed angle. A sample alignment main unit 154 is set to the sample alignment stage 170, and then the sample alignment main unit 154 is reciprocated along the inclined section 172C, in such a state that a handle 152F of a sample alignment plate 152 is held by hand, and thereby placing the sample in the aligned state simply and quickly. Furthermore, because a deep bottom section 182 is disposed on the edge side of the sample alignment plate 152, at operation, there is no concern for falling out of the grains. Accordingly, the sample alignment plate 152 can be moved quickly. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a sample aligner for a grain image reading device used when judging the quality of grains such as rice grains.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, an apparatus for determining the quality of a grain by optical processing has been used.
[0003]
For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a rice grain quality determination device that conveys rice grains one by one and irradiates the light, and measures the amount of reflected light for each rice grain to determine the quality of brown rice, white rice, or paddy rice. It has been disclosed. However, in the case of this apparatus, since the quality of each rice grain is determined by irradiating light to each rice grain, the inspection time is extremely long.
[0004]
On the other hand, Patent Literature 2 discloses that a rice grain is put into each of recesses of a sample dish in which a large number of recesses into which rice grains enter one by one are formed, and the rice grains are irradiated with light. There is described a rice grain quality determination device that captures an image of a grain based on transmitted light and determines the quality of rice grains one by one. In the case of this device, the disadvantage of the device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is solved, but the quality of the rice grain is determined from an image obtained from the reflected light or transmitted light from the rice grain. Can be distinguished for broken rice, unpolished rice, dead rice, tea-colored rice, blue immature rice, and colored rice due to pest damage, but it is difficult to accurately distinguish cracked rice and transmitted light. In the case of using rice, it is possible to discriminate broken rice, but it is difficult to discriminate other defective rice. In any case, there is a problem that the quality of rice grains cannot be determined with high accuracy.
[0005]
Therefore, the present applicant has developed a grain image reading apparatus capable of solving these problems. However, the present applicant has made further improvements from various viewpoints, and has a high value-added grain image reading apparatus. We are considering to develop.
[0006]
As one of them, when placing kernels as samples on a sample table composed of a transparent glass plate, it is possible to quickly arrange a large number of samples in a certain direction at a certain interval by a simple method. It is being considered whether it can be done. This is because light can be applied to the sample under the same conditions when the sample can be mounted on the sample table at a fixed interval in a certain direction, rather than randomly mounting the sample on the sample table. Therefore, a uniform inspection result can be obtained. Further, if the labor for mounting the samples on the sample table at an appropriate density without overlapping can be eliminated, there is an advantage that the working time can be reduced.
[0007]
In view of the above, a sample aligner 200 as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 is currently used. In brief, the sample aligner 200 includes a sample aligner main body 202 and a sample aligning plate 204. The sample aligner main body 202 is configured by fixing a rectangular flat glass plate 208 to the bottom of a rectangular support 206. On the other hand, the sample alignment plate 204 is formed by bending four sides of a rectangular flat plate, and has a large number of through holes 210 through which rice grains can enter at the bottom thereof. A handle 204A is formed on one side of the sample alignment plate 204.
[0008]
In use, the sample aligning plate 204 is fitted to the sample aligner main body 202 to integrate them, and in this state, an appropriate amount (about 1000 + α) of rice grains is put on the sample aligning plate 204. Then, the operator shakes the sample aligner 200 back and forth and left and right in the air by hand, and puts rice grains into the many through holes 210 one by one. The operator removes excess rice grains left on the sample alignment plate 204 by hand.
[0009]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent No. 2815633
[Patent Document 2]
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-33151
[0010]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the case of using the sample aligner 200, when the operator shakes the sample aligner 200 in the air in all directions, the sample aligner 200 also swings up and down, so that the rice grains smoothly move into the large number of through-holes 210. There was a problem that did not enter. In addition, since the above-mentioned operation by human power is required, there is a problem that it takes time and effort to align rice grains.
[0011]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and has as its object to obtain a sample aligner for a grain image reading device that can easily and quickly mount grains to be a sample in a state of being aligned on a sample table. .
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A sample aligner for a grain image reading device according to the present invention according to claim 1, wherein the sample alignment device is applied to a grain image reading device for optically reading an image of a grain placed on a sample stage. It is formed in a tray shape, is large enough to allow one grain to enter, is formed in a substantially grain shape, and has a large number of through-holes whose major axis is directed in a fixed direction. A sample alignment plate having a bottom wall provided thereon, a support to which the bottom wall of the sample alignment plate is fitted, and a support arranged on the bottom of the support and mounted on the upper surface of the sample stage. And, a transparent plate on which the bottom wall portion of the sample alignment plate is mounted, and a sample aligner main body, including an inclined surface mounted on the work surface and inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the work surface, The sample aligner when reciprocating the sample aligning plate and the sample aligner body along the inclined surface; A sample aligning table for guiding at least one side of the body, and further comprising a sample aligning plate mounted on the inclined surface of the sample aligning table together with the sample aligner body. In addition, it is characterized in that the lower portion in the inclination direction is formed to be deeper than the upper portion in the inclination direction.
[0013]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, grains as samples can be aligned as follows.
[0014]
First, the bottom wall of the sample alignment plate is fitted to the support of the sample aligner body. As a result, the bottom surfaces of the plurality of through holes formed in the sample alignment plate are closed by the upper surface of the transparent plate disposed at the bottom of the sample alignment device main body. That is, a bottom surface is formed in the through hole. Next, an appropriate number of samples are placed on the sample alignment plate. At this time, the sample is preferably brought closer to the sample aligning plate so that the sample aligner main body is tilted later. Next, the sample alignment plate is set on the sample alignment table together with the sample alignment device main body. After setting, the sample aligning plate and the sample aligner body are reciprocated along the inclined surface of the sample aligning table while at least one side of the sample aligner body is guided by the sample aligning table. As a result, the sample alignment plate and the sample aligner main body are shaken in the inclination direction of the inclined surface of the sample alignment table. One by one into the through hole. Excess kernels on the sample aligning plate accumulate on the lower edge side of the sample aligning plate because the sample aligning table is arranged in a state inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the work surface.
[0015]
In addition, since the through-hole has a size enough to allow one grain to enter and is formed in a substantially grain shape, a plurality of grains do not enter the same through-hole. Further, the timing for loading the sample may not be as described above, and may be immediately before the sample alignment plate and the sample aligner main body are reciprocated along the inclined direction of the inclined surface of the sample alignment table.
[0016]
After performing the above operation, the sample aligning plate and the sample aligner main body are removed from the sample aligning table, and the sample aligning plate and the sample aligner main body are directly placed on the sample table of the grain image reading apparatus. And finally, the sample aligning plate is removed from the sample aligner main body. As a result, the excess grains are rejected, and grains serving as a large number of samples are placed on the upper surface of the transparent plate of the sample aligner body in a state where their major axes are oriented in a fixed direction. .
[0017]
When the sample is placed in the aligned state on the upper surface of the transparent plate of the sample aligner main body as described above, the kernel image is optically read using the kernel image reading device. At this time, since the bottom of the main body of the sample aligner is a transparent plate, it is possible to read the image of the grain while the main body of the sample aligner remains mounted on the sample table.
[0018]
As described above, in the present invention, the sample aligning plate and the sample aligner are guided by using the sample aligning table having the inclined surface inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the work surface while guiding at least one side of the sample aligner main body. Since the sample is aligned by reciprocating the main body along the inclined plane, the sample alignment plate and the sample aligner main body swing not only up and down but also up and down as if they were shaken by hand in the air. The sample can be easily aligned in a short period of time without any troubles such as a shortcoming.
[0019]
Moreover, in the present invention, when the sample alignment plate is placed on the inclined surface of the sample alignment table together with the sample aligner main body, the lower portion in the tilt direction is deeper than the upper portion in the tilt direction. Since the sample aligning plate is formed, when the sample aligning plate and the sample aligner main body are reciprocated along the inclined surface of the sample aligning table, the portion where the grain is on the lower side in the tilt direction of the sample aligning plate. Don't worry about spilling. Therefore, the sample alignment plate and the sample aligner main body can be quickly shaken.
[0020]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a sample aligner for a grain image reading device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9.
[0021]
As shown in FIG. 1, the grain quality determining apparatus 10 includes a plurality of client computers 14 connected to a network 12 such as a LAN, a management server computer 16, and a “grain” connected to each client computer 14. And a color scanner 18 as a “grain image reading device”.
[0022]
The client computer 14 is provided with functions of counting images and determination results, compressing data, encrypting data, recording on an auxiliary storage medium, printing, distributing via a network, and protecting data with a password. It is configured to function as a grain quality determination system terminal.
[0023]
2 and 3 show a schematic configuration of the color scanner 18 in a sectional view. As shown in these figures, the color scanner 18 includes a scanner main body 20 having an image reading surface on an upper end surface, and a lid 22 that covers the image reading surface of the scanner main body 20.
[0024]
The scanner body 20 includes a rectangular parallelepiped casing 24. Most of the upper end surface of the casing 24 is open, and a glass sample stand 26 is detachably provided in this portion. Note that the sample table 26 does not necessarily need to be a glass plate, but may be an acrylic plate or a plate made of a transparent material other than these. A large number of grains (samples; mainly, rice and wheat) 28 can be placed two-dimensionally on the sample table 26 having the above configuration.
[0025]
Further, a scanning device 30 is provided in a casing 24 of the scanner main body 20. The scanning device 30 is disposed so as to face the sample table 26, and is capable of reciprocating (two-dimensional scanning) along the bottom surface of the sample table 26 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. Further, the scanning device 30 is irradiated from a light irradiation unit (light source) 32 that irradiates the kernel 28 with light, and is transmitted from the light source 40 on the lid 22 side described later and transmitted through the kernel 28 on the sample stage 26. The light receiving unit 34 receives the transmitted light and the reflected light irradiated from the light irradiation unit 32 and reflected by the grains 28. In FIG. 2 and the like, the entirety including the light irradiation unit 32 and the light receiving unit 34 is described as a scanning device “30”. The light receiving unit 34 of the scanning device 30 is configured to include a color CCD, and separates and reads the image of the grain 28 placed on the sample stage 26 into three colors of RGB (red, green, and blue). Output to the client computer 14.
[0026]
On the other hand, the lid 22 has a relatively thin casing 35, and one lower end of the casing 35 is hinged to one upper edge of the scanner body 20. Therefore, the lid 22 is rotatable around the hinge 36, thereby functioning as a cover for opening and closing the image reading surface of the scanner main body 20. The opening / closing type of the lid 22 may be a hinge type as in this embodiment, a slide type, or a combination type of both. Most of the lower end surface of the lid 22 is open, and a plurality of rod-like light sources 40 formed of fluorescent lamps and the like are arranged at predetermined intervals on the inner side of the opening 38 (that is, inside the lid 22). (See FIG. 3B).
[0027]
Further, an oblique light louver 42 made of a plastic plate member is provided at a position facing the opening 38 of the lid 22. The oblique light louver 42 irradiates the kernel 28 placed on the upper surface of the sample table 26 with light from an inclined direction in a state where the lid 22 is closed (the state of FIG. 3A). The light source 40 is provided for the purpose of making the direction of the light emitted from the light source 40 uniform in an oblique direction. Therefore, the oblique light louver 42 has a number of optical paths 42A that transmit light in an oblique direction. The inclination angle of the irradiation light with respect to the bottom surface of the sample stage 26, that is, the inclination angle of the optical path 42A with respect to the bottom surface of the sample stage 26 is preferably set in a range of about 30 degrees to about 60 degrees, and among them, set at about 30 degrees. It is preferred to do so. In addition, a light control panel (trade name, manufactured by Edmund Scientific Japan) can be used as the oblique light louver 42.
[0028]
Next, a sample aligner 150 for a grain image reading apparatus, which is a main part of the present embodiment, will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
[0029]
As shown in these figures, the sample aligner 150 includes a sample alignment plate 152 formed in a substantially tray shape, and a frame-shaped sample aligner main body 154 into which the sample alignment plate 152 is fitted from above. And a slide-shaped sample alignment table 170 mounted on a work surface 168 of a work table (not shown).
[0030]
The sample alignment plate 152 has a rectangular bottom wall 152A in plan view, side walls 152B, 152C, 152D, and 152E rising from the peripheral edge of the bottom wall 152A, and one side wall on the short side. The handle 152F extends from the upper end of the handle 152C. The extension length of the handle 152F is set to be larger than the width of a support 160 of the sample aligner main body 154 described later.
[0031]
Further, a large number (for example, 1000) of through holes 156 are formed in the bottom wall 152A of the sample alignment plate 152. Each of the through holes 156 has a track shape into which the grains 28 can enter, and has a minor axis of 3.0 mm to 3.3 mm and a major axis of 5.5 mm to 6.0 mm. . Furthermore, the thickness of the sample alignment plate 152 is set to 1.5 mm to 2.0 mm in order to prevent two grains 28 serving as a sample from entering the through hole 156.
[0032]
On the other hand, the sample aligner main body (glass tray) 154 is formed in a rectangular frame shape in plan view, and has a support 160 on which the bottom wall 152A of the sample alignment plate 152 can be fitted. And a transparent plate 162 that is fitted and fixed to the bottom of the transparent plate 162. Note that the transparent plate 162 may be made of an acrylic resin or the like.
[0033]
When the above-described sample alignment plate 152 is fitted to the sample aligner main body 154, the bottom wall 152A of the sample alignment plate 152 is placed on the upper surface of the transparent plate 162 in a contact state. Is closed by a transparent plate 162 (see FIG. 8). Further, when the sample aligner 150 is mounted on the upper surface of the sample table 26, the transparent plate 162 is mounted on the upper surface of the sample table 26 in a contact state.
[0034]
As shown in FIG. 7, the sample alignment table 170 includes a tray 172 made of resin or metal. The tray 172 is formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape in a side view, and includes a pair of legs 172A and 172B arranged in parallel with each other and an inclined portion 172C connecting the upper ends of the legs 172A and 172B. Have been. The pair of legs 172A, 172B has an L shape so as to be placed on the work surface 168. Further, the front leg 172A is set shorter than the rear leg 172B, so that the inclination angle of the inclined portion 172C is set to 5 ° to 10 °. Further, on the lower surfaces of the pair of legs 172A, 172B, braking rubbers 174 which are grasped as "braking members" in a broad sense are respectively attached.
[0035]
A pair of plastic guide rails 176, which are grasped as "guide members" in a broad sense, are attached to both sides of the inclined portion 172C of the tray 172 described above. The cross-sectional shape of the guide rail 176 is L-shaped, and the length between the opposing surfaces of the vertical portions 176A is set slightly larger than the width dimension of the sample aligner main body 154. Therefore, the sample aligner main body 154 (both sides 160A of the support 160) can be reciprocated along the inclination direction of the inclined portion 172C while being guided by the pair of guide rails 176.
[0036]
Further, since the horizontal portion 176B of the guide rail 176 is fixed while being mounted on the upper surface of the inclined portion 172C, the sample aligner main body 154 is mounted on the horizontal portion 176B of the pair of guide rails 176. A gap (step) 176 corresponding to the plate thickness of the horizontal portion 176B is formed between the bottom surface of the sample aligner main body 154 and the upper surface of the inclined portion 172C of the tray 172.
[0037]
Here, the side wall 152B of the sample alignment plate 152 described above is formed higher than the side wall 152C opposed thereto. Correspondingly, in the remaining side wall portions 152D and 152E, the portions connected to the side wall portions 152B are also set high. Note that the connection between the high and low portions of the side wall portions 152D and 152E is inclined. With the above configuration, the sample aligning plate 152 of this embodiment has the shallow portion 180 on the handle 152F side and the deep bottom portion 182 on the tip end side (the side opposite to the handle portion 152F).
[0038]
Next, the operation and effect of the present embodiment will be described.
[0039]
First, basic operations (overall operations) of the color scanner 18 and the grain quality determination device 10 according to the present embodiment will be described.
[0040]
First, a grain (good grain) 28 of which grade is known in advance is placed on the sample stand 26, and teaching is performed so that the determination result is a good grade. At this time, if the quality of the grain 28 does not match the determination result, the R signal of the determination table for determining the quality of the predetermined grain 28 by combining the two colors shown in FIGS. The minimum value Rmin, the maximum value Rmax of the R signal, and the slopes a1, a2, b1, b2, etc. of the straight lines indicating the relationship between the two colors are adjusted, and teaching is performed so that the quality of the grain 28 matches the determination result. Do. When judging a grain 28 of another grade, the grain 28 classified into the grade to be judged may be placed on the sample stand 26 and teaching may be performed so that the judgment result becomes a good product. . In this way, by performing teaching, it is possible to determine the target grade of the grain 28 as a good product.
[0041]
Next, an operation of actually determining the quality of the grain 28 is performed.
As described below, the sample grains 28 are aligned using the sample aligner 150.
[0042]
First, the sample aligning plate 152 is fitted to the support 160 of the sample aligner main body 154. As a result, the bottom surfaces of the plurality of through holes 156 formed in the bottom wall 152A of the sample aligning plate 152 are closed by the upper surface of the transparent plate 162 of the sample aligner main body 154. That is, a bottom surface is formed in the through hole 156. Next, an appropriate number of samples are placed on the sample alignment plate 152. At this time, the sample is preferably brought closer to the sample aligning plate 152 in order to tilt the sample aligner body 154 later. Next, the sample aligning plate 152 is set on the sample aligning table 170 together with the sample aligner main body 154. In this state, the deep bottom portion 182 is located at the lower portion in the tilt direction of the sample alignment table 170, and the shallow portion 180 is located at the upper portion in the tilt direction.
[0043]
After setting, the handle 152F of the sample alignment plate 152 is gripped, and the sample alignment plate 152 and the sample are placed while guiding both side portions 160A of the support 160 of the sample aligner main body 154 to the pair of guide rails 176 of the sample alignment table 170. The aligner main body 154 is reciprocated along the inclined portion 172C of the tray 172 of the sample aligning table 170. As a result, the sample aligning plate 152 and the sample aligner main body 154 are shaken in the tilting direction of the inclined portion 172C of the tray 172 of the sample aligning table 170, so that the grain 28 serving as a sample flows down from the upper side to the lower side in the tilting direction. In the process, the particles enter the through holes 156 of the sample alignment plate 152 one by one. The excess grains 28 on the sample alignment plate 152 accumulate on the lower edge side of the sample alignment plate 152 because the tray 172 of the sample alignment table 170 is disposed at a predetermined angle with respect to the work surface 168. .
[0044]
In addition, since the through-hole 156 has a size enough to allow one grain 28 to enter and is formed in a substantially grain shape, a plurality of grains 28 do not enter the same through-hole 156. . Further, the timing for loading the sample may not be as described above, and immediately before the sample aligning plate 152 and the sample aligner main body 154 reciprocate along the tilt direction of the inclined portion 172C of the tray 172 of the sample aligning table 170. May be included.
[0045]
After the above operation, the sample aligning plate 152 and the sample aligner main body 154 are removed from the sample aligning table 170, and the lid 22 is opened around the hinge 36, and then placed on the sample table 26 of the color scanner 18 as it is. Finally, the handle 152F is pinched, and the sample aligning plate 152 is removed from the sample aligner main body 154. As a result, the excessive grains 28 are rejected, and the grains 28 serving as a large number of samples are aligned on the upper surface of the transparent plate 162 of the sample aligner main body 154 such that the major axis direction thereof is oriented in a fixed direction. Is placed. Thereafter, the lid 22 is closed.
[0046]
Next, the image of the grain 28 is actually read using the color scanner 18. This operation is performed with the sample aligner main body 154 placed on the upper surface of the sample table 26 as described above.
[0047]
Specifically, the scanning device 30 of the scanner main body 20 is driven to move along the bottom surface of the sample table 26 (two-dimensional scanning). As a result, light is irradiated from the light irradiation unit 32 of the scanning device 30 to the kernel 28, and the reflected light reflected by the kernel 28 and returned is received by the light receiving unit 34 of the scanning device 30. The light reception result of the reflected light is read out by being decomposed into RGB (red, green, blue) by a color CCD constituting the light receiving unit 34 and output to the client computer 14 as image (hereinafter, referred to as “reflected light image”) information. Is done. As described above, since the reflected light image of the grain 28 is obtained, the state of the grain surface such as the outer shape and color of the grain 28 can be read, and the grain having the abnormal surface (crushed rice, unpolished rice, dead rice, tea system) Colored rice 28, such as colored rice, blue immature rice, and pest-damaged rice) 28 can be found with high accuracy.
[0048]
Subsequently, the light source 40 on the lid 22 side is turned on, and the kernel 28 is irradiated with light. At this time, in the case of the present embodiment, since the oblique light louver 42 is interposed between the light source 40 and the sample table 26, the irradiation light from the light source 40 is about 30 degrees to about 60 degrees with respect to the grain 28. Irradiation is performed uniformly from an oblique direction in the range. It should be noted that, when the grain 28 is irradiated with light obliquely using the oblique louver 42 as described above, when a crack or a fractured surface exists inside the grain 28, Light is blocked by the fractured surface and the like, and shadows are easily formed. By reading the shadow, it becomes possible to read the inside of the grain such as the presence or absence of a crack or a fractured surface. This is because the detection accuracy of (rice) 28 can be improved.
[0049]
In the above state, the scanning device 30 of the scanner body 20 is driven and moved (two-dimensional scanning) along the bottom surface of the sample table 26 in the same manner as described above. Thereby, the transmitted light radiated from the light source 40 on the lid 22 side and transmitted through the grain 28 and the reflected light radiated from the light irradiation unit 32 of the scanning device 30 to the kernel 28 and reflected by the kernel 28 are scanned. The light is received by the light receiving unit 34 of the device 30. In other words, the transmitted light transmitted from the light source 40 on the lid 22 side and transmitted through the kernel 28 and the light emitted from the light irradiation unit 32 on the scanning device 30 side are irradiated on the light receiving unit 34 of the scanning device 30. The reflected light that has been reflected and returned is received at the same time. The light reception result obtained by simultaneously receiving the transmitted light and the reflected light is read out after being decomposed into RGB (red, green, and blue) by a color CCD constituting the light receiving unit 34 and an image (hereinafter, referred to as a “transmitted light / reflected light image”). This information is output to the client computer 14 as information.
[0050]
Based on the image information obtained as described above, quality determination processing of the kernel 28 is performed. Specifically, an inter-image calculation process of subtracting the reflected light image (light receiving signal value) from the transmitted light / reflected light image (light receiving signal value) is performed. As a result, a transmitted light image (received signal value) of the grain 28 is obtained, so that it is possible to read a state (a crack, a fractured surface, etc.) inside the grain, and as described above, a grain having an internal abnormality (body crack). (US) 28 can be found with high accuracy.
[0051]
That is, according to the present embodiment, by performing an inter-image operation between the transmitted light / reflected light image and the reflected light image, both the image information inside the kernel 28 and the image information on the surface of the kernel 28 are extracted. Will be able to do that. In this case, image information inside the grain 28 can be obtained from the result of the inter-image calculation, and image information on the surface of the grain 28 can be obtained from the reflected light image. As a result, it is possible to clearly discriminate the cracked body grains and the partially colored grains such as white belly, and it is possible to perform quality determination with high accuracy.
[0052]
In the above image reading operation, the case where the reflected light image is read first, and the transmitted light / reflected light image is read later has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this. May be read.
[0053]
Supplementary explanation will be given on the above-described method of quality determination processing of the grain 28. Each client computer 14 takes in the image signal of the grain 28 transmitted from the scanner body 20, and outputs the RGB three-color image signal of each pixel. For each, the conditions of a1B>R> a2B and Rmin <R <Rmax are satisfied as shown in FIG. 4, and as shown in FIG. 5, the conditions of b1B>G> b2B and Gmin <G <Gmax And further, as shown in FIG. 6, it is determined whether or not the conditions of c1G>R> c2G and Rmin <R <Rmax are satisfied. Note that Rmin represents the minimum value of the R color image signal, Rmax represents the maximum value of the R color image signal, Gmin represents the minimum value of the G color image signal, and Gmax represents the maximum value of the G color image signal. Further, a1, a2, b1, b2, c1, and c2 are constants indicating the slopes of the straight lines shown in FIGS.
[0054]
When extracting and determining information on both the inside and the surface of the grain 28, it is determined whether or not each of the information (image signal) on the inside and the surface of the grain 28 satisfies the above condition. do it.
[0055]
When the color conditions relating to R, G, and B are satisfied, the grain 28 is determined to be non-defective in color, and when the above conditions are not satisfied, the grain 28 is defective in color ( That is, the rice is determined to be dead rice, tea-based colored rice, blue immature rice, colored rice due to pest damage, or paddy rice). Even for the same defective product, the broken rice is determined by the area ratio (the number of pixels is large / small) (the paddy rice is also basically determined from the area ratio), and the broken rice is irradiated with the inclined light as described above. Thus, it is determined by reading a shadow (ie, a sharp change in brightness) generated inside the rice. Thereby, the grading of the grain 28 can be performed.
[0056]
Also, periodically, the image captured by the scanner body 20 and the determination result of the client computer 14 are transmitted from the client computer 14 to the server computer 16 and displayed on the screen of the server computer 16. Thereby, the skilled operator visually compares the image captured by the scanner main body 20 with the determination result of the client computer 14 to determine whether the client computer 14 of the grain quality determination apparatus 10 is operating normally, or In addition, it is possible to check whether there is any variation in the determination result of the client computer 14 and perform unified management.
[0057]
As described above, the sample aligner 150 according to the present embodiment uses the sample aligning table 170 provided with the tray 172 inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the work surface 168, and uses the sample aligning table 170 with the both sides 160A of the support 160 of the sample aligner body 154. The sample aligning plate 152 and the sample aligner main body 154 are reciprocated along the inclined portion 172C of the tray 172 while the sample aligning plate 152 and the sample aligner main body 154 are guided by the pair of guide rails 176. Simple and quick alignment of the sample grains 28 on the sample table 26 without the problem that the sample aligner body 154 shakes not only horizontally but also up and down as if it were shaken by hand in the air. It can be placed in a state where it is set.
[0058]
Moreover, in the sample aligner 150 according to the present embodiment, the shallow bottom portion 180 and the deep bottom portion 182 are formed in the sample alignment plate 152, and the sample alignment plate 152 is tilted together with the sample aligner body 154 on the tray 172 of the sample alignment table 170. When placed on the portion 172C, the deep bottom portion 182 is located at the lower portion in the inclined direction, and the shallow portion 180 is located at the upper portion in the inclined direction. When the main body 154 is reciprocated along the inclined portion 172C of the tray 172 of the sample aligning table 170, there is no fear that the grains 28 will spill from the lower portion of the sample aligning plate 152 in the tilt direction. That is, the grain 28 is blocked by the deep bottom portion 182 of the sample alignment plate 152. Therefore, the sample alignment plate 152 and the sample aligner main body 154 can be quickly shaken.
[0059]
In addition, the sample aligner 150 according to the present embodiment has the following effects.
[0060]
First, in the present embodiment, when the sample aligning plate 152 and the sample aligner main body 154 are set on the sample aligning table 170, the transparent plate 162 of the sample aligner main body 154 is positioned on the horizontal portion 176B of the pair of guide rails 176. And a predetermined gap 176 is formed between the sample aligner body 154 and the upper surface of the inclined portion 172C of the tray 172, so that when the sample aligner body 154 is reciprocated along the inclined portion 172C of the sample alignment table 170, In addition, the transparent plate 162 can be prevented from being damaged. As a result, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the image of the grain 28 from becoming inaccurate.
[0061]
Secondly, in the present embodiment, the tray 172 has legs 172A and 172B placed on the work surface 168, and a braking rubber 174 is provided on a contact surface of the legs 172A and 172B with the work surface 168. Since the sample aligner main body 154 is attached, the sample aligning table 170 can be prevented from sliding on the work surface 168 during the reciprocating movement of the sample aligner main body 154. In other words, the stability of the sample table 170 during the operation can be ensured. As a result, according to the present embodiment, the work of aligning the grains 28 serving as the sample can be performed smoothly.
[0062]
[Supplementary explanation of embodiment]
<Variations of oblique light means>
In the above-described color scanner 18 according to the present embodiment, the light source 40 and the oblique light louver 42 are used for components that are interpreted as oblique light means in a broad sense. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various configurations can be adopted. . For example, a surface emitting light source may be used instead of the rod-shaped light source 40. As the surface emitting light source, a configuration in which a rectangular diffuser is arranged in parallel to the oblique light louver with respect to 42, and a pair of rod-shaped light sources are arranged at positions facing the opposite sides thereof can be considered. In this case, when the pair of rod-shaped light sources is turned on, the light is diffused by the diffusion plate, so that the irradiation light to the grain 28 is made uniform, which contributes to improvement in accuracy.
[0063]
Further, for example, instead of the light source 40 and the oblique louver 42, a configuration in which a large number of light emitting diodes (LEDs) are arranged in a two-dimensionally inclined state may be adopted, or the light emitting diodes may be one-dimensionally inclined. A configuration may be adopted in which the light emitting diode array is scanned in a direction orthogonal to the light emitting diode array after being arranged in a state. In this case, the oblique louvers 42 can be eliminated. Note that an organic EL element can be used instead of the light emitting diode.
[0064]
<About image processing>
In the above-described grain quality determination device 10 according to the present embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which the color scanner 18 is connected to the client computer 14 and the client computer 14 is connected to the network 12. A configuration in which a functioning stand-alone computer is used as the client computer 14 and not connected to the network 12 may be adopted.
[0065]
The grain quality determination device 10 according to the above-described embodiment employs a configuration in which the transmitted light / reflected light image and the reflected light image are read, and the client computer 14 performs an inter-image operation to obtain the transmitted light image. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the following method may be adopted.
[0066]
One is a method of reading a transmitted light image and obtaining a reflected light image by an inter-image operation, which is the opposite of the above. That is, the light irradiating section 32 of the scanning device 30 is configured to be capable of switching between light emission and light extinction, and is irradiated from the former light source and transmitted through the grains 28 in a state where both the light source of the oblique light means and the light irradiating section 32 are turned on. While obtaining the image information (transmitted light / reflected light image information) when both the transmitted light and the reflected light emitted from the latter and reflected by the grain 28 are received by the light receiving unit 34, the light source of the oblique light unit is used. In a state where the light is turned on and the light irradiation unit 32 is turned off, image information (transmitted light image information) when only the transmitted light that has been irradiated from the former and transmitted through the grain 28 is received by the light receiving unit 34 is obtained. Then, the image information is output to the client computer 14, and the client computer 14 subtracts the transmitted light image from the transmitted light / reflected light image to obtain a reflected light image. According to the above-described method, highly accurate quality determination can be performed similarly to the present embodiment.
[0067]
Another method is similar to the above-described method, in which the light irradiation unit 32 of the scanning device 30 is configured to be capable of switching between light emission and extinguishment, and the light source of the oblique light unit is turned on and the light irradiation unit 32 is turned off. While obtaining image information (transmitted light image information) when only the transmitted light emitted from the former light source and transmitted through the grain 28 is received by the light receiving unit 34, the light source of the oblique light unit is turned off and the light irradiating unit is turned off. With the 32 turned on, image information (reflected light image information) obtained when only the reflected light emitted from the latter and reflected by the grains 28 is received by the light receiving unit 34 is obtained. These pieces of image information are output to the client computer 14. According to the above configuration, since the transmitted light image information and the reflected light image information can be directly obtained individually, there is no need to perform an inter-image operation. Therefore, the client computer 14 can directly determine the quality of the grain 28 from the two types of input image information. Accordingly, the quality of the grain 28 can be determined in a short time because the calculation between images is not required.
[0068]
<About the sample aligner>
In the above-described embodiment, the color scanner 18 includes the scanner main body 20 including the sample table 26 and the scanning device 30 and the lid 22 including the light source 40 functioning as oblique light means and the oblique light louver 42. Although the embodiment using the sample aligner 150 has been described as an example, the sample aligner for a grain image reading device according to the present invention can be applied to a color scanner having an aspect other than the above configuration. That is, no light source is provided on the side of the lid 22 (therefore, the lid in this case functions only as a cover for covering the sample stage 26), and the scanner including the sample stage 26 and the scanning device 30 is provided. The present invention may be applied to a color scanner whose main part is constituted only by the main body 20.
[0069]
In the above-described embodiment, the support 160 and the transparent plate 162 are formed as separate components. However, if the transparent plate is formed of a resin such as an acrylic plate, the support and the transparent plate are integrated. Is also good.
[0070]
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the support 160 is formed in a rectangular frame shape in a plan view, but the support does not necessarily need to be formed over the entire circumference, and the support 160 may be positioned with respect to the sample alignment plate 152. Alternatively, a configuration in which a predetermined length is partially formed corresponding to each side may be adopted. In particular, when the support and the transparent plate are integrated as described above, such a configuration is sufficiently established.
[0071]
In the above-described embodiment, a pair of guide rails 176 are attached to both sides of the tray 172 of the sample alignment table 170 to guide both sides 160A of the support 160 of the sample aligner body 154. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to adopt a configuration that guides either one of the both sides 160A and 160B of the support 160 of the sample aligner main body 154. For example, by tilting the inclined portion 172C of the tray 172 not only in the longitudinal direction of the tray 172 but also in the width direction, the reciprocating motion of the sample aligner main body 154 is guided (supported) by only one guide rail 176. )can do.
[0072]
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the tray 172 and the guide rail 176 are formed separately, but may be integrally formed by resin molding. For example, although the guide rail 176 of the present embodiment has an L-shaped cross section, the guide rail 176 may be changed to a guide bar having a rectangular solid cross section, and the pair of guide bars may be integrally formed on both sides of the tray. Good.
[0073]
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the braking rubber 174 is used as the braking member. However, the braking member is not necessarily required to be rubber, and may be a configuration that can increase the frictional resistance, and may be a tape, a coating, or the like.
[0074]
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the reciprocating motion of the sample alignment plate 152 and the sample aligner main body 154 is manually performed. However, the present invention is not limited to this.
[0075]
Further, in the above-described embodiment, when the deep bottom portion 182 is formed on the sample alignment plate 152, the height of the deep bottom portion 182 and the height of the shallow bottom portion 180 are each constant, and the two are connected by an inclined portion. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be configured so that the height gradually increases at a constant rate of change as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIGS.
[0076]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the sample aligner for a grain image reading device according to the present invention according to claim 1 is a sample mounted on a work surface and having a slope inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the work surface. The sample is aligned by reciprocating the sample aligning plate and the sample aligner main body along the inclined direction of the sample mounting table while guiding at least one side of the sample aligner main body using the alignment table. In addition, when the sample alignment plate is placed on the inclined surface of the sample alignment table together with the sample alignment device main body, the lower portion of the sample alignment plate is tilted upward in the tilt direction. Since it is formed so as to be deeper than the portion to be formed, there is an excellent effect that the grains to be a sample can be easily and quickly placed in an aligned state on the sample table.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a grain quality determination device according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the entire configuration of the grain image reading device according to the embodiment with a lid opened.
FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view showing the entire configuration of the grain image reading device shown in FIG. 2 with a lid closed, and FIG. 3B is a side view thereof.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between R and B of image information indicating a non-defective area.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a relationship between G and B of image information indicating a non-defective area.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between R and G of image information indicating a non-defective area.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a sample aligner according to the present embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state where a sample alignment plate and a sample aligner main body are set on a sample alignment table.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a sample alignment plate according to a main part of the embodiment.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a conventional sample aligner.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view for explaining how to use the sample aligner shown in FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
18 Color Scanner (Grain Image Reader)
26 Sample table
28 grains
150 Sample aligner
152 Sample alignment plate
152B bottom wall
154 Sample aligner body
156 through hole
160 support
160A side
162 transparent board
168 Work surface
170 Sample alignment table
172 tray
172C Inclined part
176 guide rail
180 Shallow bottom
182 deep bottom

Claims (1)

A sample aligner applied to a grain image reading device for optically reading an image of a grain placed on a sample stage,
A bottom wall which is formed in a tray shape, has a size enough to allow one grain to enter therein, is formed in a substantially grain shape, and is provided with a large number of through-holes whose major axis is directed in a fixed direction. A sample alignment plate having a section,
A support to which the bottom wall of the sample alignment plate is fitted; and a support disposed on the bottom of the support and mounted on the upper surface of the sample table and the bottom wall of the sample alignment plate mounted thereon A transparent plate, and a sample aligner body including:
The sample aligner body includes an inclined surface mounted on the work surface and inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the work surface, and the sample aligner body is reciprocated along the inclined surface. A sample alignment table that guides at least one side of
Has,
Further, the sample alignment plate, when the sample alignment plate is placed on the inclined surface of the sample alignment table together with the sample aligner body, the lower part of the tilt direction is higher than the upper part of the tilt direction. Is also formed to be deeper,
A sample aligner for a grain image reading device, comprising:

Images