Grain appearance measuring apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9607368-B2
Application number	US-201314411099-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2013
Priority date	Jun 27, 2012
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

A technical object is to enable optical checks to be performed while allowing visual checks using a sample pan to be performed in a pseudo manner using an aggregate image (pseudo image) depicting grains loaded on the sample pan, by optically checking the grains using image information on the grains imaged by an imaging apparatus and creating the aggregate image using the image information. Thus, a grain appearance measuring apparatus includes imaging means for imaging a plurality of grains, analysis means for analyzing image information on the grains imaged by the imaging means in units of grains, processing means for processing the image information to form an aggregate image of the grains, and means for saving and/or displaying the aggregate image processed by the processing means. The processing means extracts grain images from the image information in units of grains and arranges the extracted grain images in units of grains, in a close state where the grain images are close to one another to form an aggregate image of the grain images.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A grain appearance measuring apparatus comprising:
a scanner for imaging a plurality of grains; and
a computer configured to:
analyze image information on the grains imaged by the scanner in units of grains;
process the image information to form an aggregate image of the grains; and
save and/or display the aggregate image,
wherein the computer extracts grain images from the image information in units of grains and arranges the extracted grain images in units of grains, in a close state where the grain images are close to one another and/or partly overlap to form an aggregate image of the grain images, and saves and/or displays an image of the aggregate image of the grains on a sample pan.

2. The grain appearance measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the computer is provided with an area set value input section, and
a set value that sets a size of an area of an overlapping part of the grain images in the close state is input via the area set value input section.

3. The grain appearance measuring apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein, when a minimum value of the set value is input to the area set value input section, the computer forms an aggregate image of the grain images contacting one another without any overlap.

4. The grain appearance measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the computer provides the aggregate image with an outer frame that is identical, in shape, to a grain placement surface of a sample pan.

5. The grain appearance measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a gap portion created between the grain images in the aggregate image formed by the processing is expressed in a particular color before the aggregate image is saved and/or displayed.

Assignees

• Satake Eng Co Ltd

Inventors

• Matsushima Hideaki
• Ishizuki Hiroki
• Takeuchi Hiroaki

Classifications

• G06T1/00

  General purpose image data processing · CPC title

• G01N21/85 Primary

  Investigating moving fluids or granular solids · CPC title

• G06T11/60

  Creating or editing images; Combining images with text · CPC title

• B02B7/00

  Auxiliary devices · CPC title

• G06T2207/30128

  Food products · CPC title