Method and system of estimating produce characteristics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016019688-A1
Application number	US-201514802281-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 17, 2015
Priority date	Jul 18, 2014
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for a method, system, and apparatus for taking three-dimensional images of produce. The three-dimensional image may be used to estimate the volume and other dimensions of the imaged produce.

First claim

Therefore, the following is claimed:

1 . A system, comprising:
a computing device comprising a processor and a memory; and an application executed in the at least one computing device, the application comprising a set of instructions stored in the memory of the computing device that, when executed by the processor of the computing device, cause the computing device to at least:
convert a depth image of a produce item into a point cloud image; and
estimate a diameter of the produce item based at least in part on the point cloud image.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the application further comprises instructions stored in the memory of the computing device that, when executed by the processor of the computing device, causes the computing device to at least calculate a volume of the produce item based at least in part on the estimated diameter of the produce item.

3 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a Red-Green-Blue-Depth (RGB-D) sensor configured to:
generate the depth image of the produce item; and send the depth image of the produce item to the computing device.

4 . The system of claim 3 , further comprising a conveyor belt positioned to move the produce item through a field of view of the RGB-D sensor.

5 . The system of claim 3 , further comprising a light source positioned to illuminate the produce item when the produce item is positioned within a field of view of the RGB-D sensor.

6 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the RGB-D sensor is positioned above the produce item.

7 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the RGB-D sensor is positioned below the produce item.

8 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a weighing device configured to:
measure a weight of the produce item; and send the weight of the produce item to the computing device.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the application further comprises instructions stored in the memory of the computing device that, when executed by the processor of the computing device, causes the computing device to at least calculate a density of the produce item based at least in part on the weight of the produce item.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the weighing device comprises a scale.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the produce item comprises an onion.

12 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a program that, when executed by a processor of a computing device, causes the computing device to at least:
convert a depth image of a produce item into a point cloud image; estimate a volume of the produce item based at least in part on the point could image; and estimate a diameter of the produce item based at least in part on the point could image.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the program, when executed by the processor, further causes the computing device to at least compute a weight of the produce item based at least in part on a measurement provided by a weighing device.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the program, when executed by the processor, further causes the computing device to at least estimate a density of the produce item based at least in part on the estimated volume and the computed weight of the produce item.

15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the depth image is received from a Red-Green-Blue-Depth (RGB-D) sensor configured to:
generate the depth image of the produce item; and send the depth image of the produce item to the computing device.

16 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
converting a depth image of a produce item into a point cloud image; estimating a diameter of the produce item based at least in part on the point cloud image; and estimating a volume of the produce item based at least in part on the estimated diameter.

17 . The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , further comprising receiving the depth image of the produce item from a Red-Green-Blue-Depth (RGB-D) sensor, wherein the RGB-D sensor generates the depth image.

18 . The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , further comprising receiving a weight of the produce item from a weighing device.

19 . The computer-implemented method of claim 18 , further comprising estimating a density of the produce item based at least in part on the volume of the produce item and the weight of the produce item.

20 . The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein converting the depth image of the produce item into a point cloud image further comprises removing a pixel from the depth image.

Assignees

• Univ Georgia

Inventors

• Li Changying
• Wang Weilin

Classifications

• G06T2207/10028

  Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds · CPC title

• G06T7/0004 Primary

  Industrial image inspection · CPC title

• G01G19/414

  using electronic computing means only · CPC title

• G06T2210/56

  Particle system, point based geometry or rendering · CPC title

• G06T7/62

  of area, perimeter, diameter or volume · CPC title