On-line oil and foreign matter detection system and method employing hyperspectral imaging

• Main Authors: Deevi, Seetharama C, Dante, Henry M, Henry, Samuel Timothy
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 11.01.2022
• Subjects: CALCULATING; CIGARETTES; CIGARS; COLORIMETRY; COMPUTING; COUNTING; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS; HUMAN NECESSITIES; IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MANUFACTURE OR PREPARATION OF TOBACCO FOR SMOKING ORCHEWING; MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT,POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRA-RED,VISIBLE OR ULTRA-VIOLET LIGHT; MEASURING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; POSTAL SORTING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RADIATION PYROMETRY; RECOGNITION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SMOKERS' REQUISITES; SNUFF; SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTEDPIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING; TESTING; TOBACCO; TRANSPORTING

A method for removing foreign matter from an agricultural product stream of a manufacturing process. The method includes conveying a product stream past an inspection station; scanning a region of the agricultural product stream as it passes the inspection station using at least one light source of a single or different wavelengths; generating hyperspectral images from the scanned region; determining a spectral fingerprint for the agricultural product stream from the hyperspectral images; comparing the spectral fingerprint obtained in step (c) to a spectral fingerprint database containing a plurality of fingerprints using a computer processor to determine whether foreign matter is present and, if present, generating a signal in response thereto; and removing a portion of the conveyed product stream in response to the signal. A system for detecting foreign matter within an agricultural product stream is also provided.