JP2011153888A - Fruit shape measuring device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fruit shape measuring device for measuring the degree of squareness of a fruit, or a sorting sensor for sorting fruits such as persimmons, since the fruit is treated as a high-class article when its shape is near a square in a plan view as in the case of Japanese Hiratanenashi persimmon (a square-shaped seedless persimmon), and is treated to be an ill-shaped article if its shape is near a circle. <P>SOLUTION: In the state of causing the individual center positions 3 of a picked-up image 1 of the fruit and a reference image 2 which is set and superposed at the position of picking-up of the image 1 as a reference form of the fruit, to coincide with each other, and moving this reference image 2 around its center position 3, the area of a jutting-out image portion 4 picked up while jutting out to the periphery of this reference image 2 is calculated for each moving photographing position, and on the basis of the minimum area value out of the areas of these individual picked-up jutting-out image portions 4, the area value is determined as a degree of deformation of this fruit. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fruit shape measuring apparatus that measures the degree of deformation of a fruit.

  A technique for superimposing a reference image, which is a reference shape, on the upper surface of an image captured as a planar shape of a fruit, obtaining the shape of the eating-out portion of the captured image in the outer periphery of the reference image, and determining the degree of deformation of the fruit ( For example, see Patent Document 1.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-78312 (first page, FIG. 1).

  Fruits that have a shape close to a square in plan view, such as a plain nucleus, are considered high-grade products, and those that are close to a circle are considered to be deformed products. Therefore, the fruit shape measuring device for measuring the four angles of the fruit, or a sorting sensor for sorting fruits such as strawberries.

  In the invention according to claim 1, the reference image 2 is displayed in a state in which the center positions 3 of the fruit imaged image 1 and the reference image 2 set as the reference type of the fruit are set at the imaged position. While moving around the central position 3, the area of the food image portion 4 that protrudes to the outer periphery of the reference image 2 is calculated for each moving image position, and the area of each food image portion 4 is calculated. It is set as the structure of the fruit shape measuring apparatus characterized by setting it as the deformation degree of this fruit based on the minimum area value.

  By measuring the planar shape of the fruit with the camera, the center position 3 of the preset reference image 2 on the camera side is overlapped with the center position 3 of the measured image 1. By moving the reference image 2 around the center position 3 at every fixed angle, the superposition state at each movement phase position is taken and the outer periphery of the reference image 2 is eaten from the overlapped form of the imaged image 1 and the reference image 2. The area of the taken out food image portion 4 is calculated. Since the area of the food picked-up image portion 4 is calculated for each movement position of the reference image 2, the smallest minimum area value among the area values calculated at the respective phase positions is determined for the fruit that has received this measurement. The degree of deformation (or the degree of deformation value) is used. And when selecting fruit, it can set as a selection reference | standard by determining the area | region of the magnitude | size of this deformation degree to predetermined width.

  The invention according to claim 1 calculates the area value of the eating-out image portion 4 at each moving position while rotating the reference image 2 serving as a reference for determining the shape of the fruit around the center position of the fruit. Thus, if the minimum area of each area value is set as the degree of deformation of the fruit, accurate and stable measurement of the degree of deformation can be performed regardless of the shape of the fruit, the conveyance supply posture, and the like.

The flowchart of fruit deformation degree measurement control. The measurement standard picture of a camera and the top view of a fruit. The side view of a fruit deformation degree measuring apparatus. The top view of the marking of the cardboard case which accommodates the selection fruit. The enlarged plan view which shows the shape of the recognition hole.

  On the basis of the drawings, a camera 5 is installed on the conveyor 5 for carrying and transporting the fruit (plain nucleus), or the fruit W carried by the conveyor 5 is photographed from above, and this fruit is taken. A plan view image 1 of W is taken. At the time of this photographing, the degree of deformation of the fruit W can be measured from the captured image 1. The captured image 1 portion of the camera 6 is configured so that a rectangular reference image 2 that is the reference shape of the fruit W can be simultaneously photographed. The reference image 2 is superimposed on the captured image 1 of the fruit W and photographed. Is done. And the fruit W part of the part to superimpose is not image | photographed, but the fruit part which sticks out to the outer peripheral part of this reference | standard image 2 is image | photographed.

  A guide mechanism for accurately feeding and guiding the fruit W to the measurement position 7 is provided on the upper surface of the conveyor 5 so that the fruit W located at the measurement position 7 is placed in a posture to be photographed by the camera 6. ing. At this time, the center position 3 of the fruit W is guided so as to substantially coincide with the center position 3 of the reference image W of the camera 6. In this way, the fruit W positioned at the measurement position 7 of the conveyor 5 is photographed planarly from directly above by the camera 6, and the photographed image 1 and the reference image 2 that are superimposed vertically are photographed. The area value of the food pick-up image portion 4 that protrudes to the outer periphery is calculated. In photographing the fruit W, for example, as a form in which the reference image 2 is photographed by sequentially changing the rotation phase positions A to E every 90 degrees × ¼ around the center position 3 at every photographing interval, In each of these rotation phase positions A to E, the area value of the food-picking image portion 4 is calculated. In the example of FIG. 1, among the area values calculated at these rotation phase positions A to E, the rotation phase position A where the entire circumference of the reference image 2 is located within the contour of the imaged image 1 is the smallest food imaging. Since this is the area value of the image portion 4, this area value is set as the deformation value (or deformation degree) of the fruit W.

  The degree of deformation is measured and stored in the controller for each such fruit W in each conveyance. Then, the fruit W is conveyed to the sorting device unit, and is sorted based on the deformation degree reference region set in the predetermined sorting region by the output from the controller.

  Each time the reference image 2 is photographed by the camera 6, the rotation phase positions A to E are sequentially changed. At this time, the camera 6 itself is intermittently rotated around the center position 3 (center axis along the photographing direction). It is good also as a form which rotates or the tray which receives the fruit W with respect to this camera 6 is rotated intermittently. Furthermore, the reference image 2 for each of the phase positions A to E is set at the internal fixed position of the camera 6 without rotating the reference image 2, the camera 6, or the fruit W or the like. It is also possible to adopt a form in which each reference image 2 for each phase position A to E is copied, and the area of the food-feeding imaging bowl part 4 for each phase position A to E is calculated simultaneously. In this embodiment, the measurement efficiency can be increased by shortening the mechanical measurement time for each fruit W.

  Next, based on FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the recognition holes 21 and 22 that are detected by the discrimination camera in the area 20 displayed on the outer peripheral surface of the cardboard case 19 for the marking of the cardboard case 19 that accommodates the selected fruit. The hole diameter is changed to be large or small, and is formed and displayed. In contrast to a mode in which holes are simply changed by changing the position of the area 20, multiple types of types can be displayed by drilling holes having large and small hole diameters.

  Further, instead of the round hole shape of the recognition holes 21 and 22, as shown in FIG. 5, a longitudinal slot 23, a lateral slot 24, an upper right inclined slot 25, or a left upward inclined length The hole 26 and the like are formed to display the type, and the type display can be further increased.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image pick-up image 2 Reference image 3 Center position 4 Food extraction image image part 5 Conveyor 6 Camera 7 Measurement position W Fruit AE Each rotation phase position of a reference image

Claims (1)

  The reference image (2) is centered with the center position (3) of the captured image (1) of the fruit and the reference image (2) set as a reference image of the fruit as the reference type of the image being centered. While moving around the position (3), the area of the eating-out image portion (4) protruding to the outer periphery of the reference image (2) is calculated for each moving shooting position, and each eating-out image image is obtained. The fruit shape measuring apparatus characterized by setting the degree of deformation of the fruit based on the minimum area value of the area of the portion (4).

Images