Smoking article inspection system and associated method

• Main Authors: Hall David R, Sama Martin, Hiatt Derwin, Shockley Mike, Nuckols Eddie, Reddell Charles, Wood Gary Lee, Whitley Mike, Brantley Frank, McCann Larry, Martin Isaac
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 19.12.2017
• Subjects: CALCULATING; CIGARETTES; CIGARS; COMPUTING; COUNTING; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRICITY; HUMAN NECESSITIES; IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL; MACHINES FOR MAKING CIGARS OR CIGARETTES; PHYSICS; PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION; SMOKERS' REQUISITES; TOBACCO

Smoking article inspection systems configured to inspect smoking articles are provided. The systems may include imaging devices configured to capture images of an exterior of the smoking article and an analysis unit configured to analyze the images captured by the imaging devices. The analysis unit may execute an edge detection tool configured to determine a position of the smoking article based on an edge location of the smoking article and a defect detection tool configured to determine whether the smoking article is defective after the position of the smoking article is determined. The imaging devices may be configured to capture images of the smoking articles during the assembly thereof. Thereby, the analysis unit may determine any operations during assembly causing damage to the smoking article from analysis of the images of the smoking article captured during assembly. Related methods are also provided.