Method and system inspecting on-line cotton web homogeneity by digital image processing

• Main Authors: CHEN HUNG-JEN, HUANG DING-KUO, LIEN HSINUNG, LIU CHIH-HUA
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 16.09.2003
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MEASURING; PHYSICS; TESTING

The present invention disclosed a method and system inspecting cotton web homogeneity by a digital image processing technique, in particular, for an on-line cotton web homogeneity test. It uses optical principles in conjunction with a charge coupled device type camera to find a theoretical equation indicating the correlation between the transmittance of cotton webs and basic weights (weights per unit area). Next, the invention makes use of a numerical analysis method to find the optimal approximation equation representing a relationship between measured transmittance and basic weights of cotton webs. When executing an on-line inspection, a system according to the invention detects the transmittance of cotton webs by means of the computer controlled visual device and then calculates correlated data of cotton web homogeneity variations according to the approximation equation acquired previously. Besides, the system can monitor production operation and detect any abnormal conditions or periodical variations in production through a quick Fourier transformation of homogeneity variations. The invention can be applied to on-line web homogeneity tests either for cotton webs or for other materials like paper or non-woven fabric.