Patents by Inventor Gary E. Seibel

Gary E. Seibel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11882843
    Abstract: An automated method for crab meat picking which has an image processing system configured with an imaging sub-system and an image processing sub-system acting in cooperation with each other where the image processing system operates in accordance with a processing routine. An image of a crab to be processed is obtained by the imaging sub-system which is transmitted to the image processing system where the processing routine determines appropriate cut lines to be made on the crab being processed based on instructions from the image processing sub-system. The crab being processed is then cut in accordance with the appropriate cutting lines developed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: University of Maryland, College Park
    Inventors: Yang Tao, Robert Vinson, Dongyi Wang, Maxwell Holmes, Gary E. Seibel
  • Patent number: 11531317
    Abstract: Intelligence guided system and method for fruits and vegetables processing includes a conveyor for carrying produces, various image acquiring and processing hardware and software, water and air jets for cutting and controlling the position and orientation of the produces, and a networking hardware and software, operating in synchronism in an efficient manner to attain speed and accuracy of the produce cutting and high yield and low waste produces processing. The 2nd generation strawberry decalyxing system (AVID2) uniquely utilizes a convolutional neural network (AVIDnet) supporting a discrimination network decision, specifically, on whether a strawberry is to be cut or rejected, and computing a multi-point cutline curvature to be cut along by rapid robotic cutting tool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: University of Maryland, College Park
    Inventors: Yang Tao, Dongyi Wang, Robert Vinson, Xuemei Cheng, Maxwell Holmes, Gary E. Seibel
  • Patent number: 11337432
    Abstract: A vision guided intelligent system for automated crab meat picking operates in a fully automated or semi-automatic modes of operation using a crab meat picking routine based on (a) the CNN model localization of back-fin knuckles algorithm, and/or (b) the Deep Learning model which accurately locates not only knuckle positions, but also crab legs and crab cores, with a high pixel accuracy (up to 0.9843), and low computation time. The subject system uses a concept of analyzing crab morphologies obtained from digital crab images, and, using a Deep Learning architecture integrated in the system, segments crab images into five regions of interest in a single step with high accuracy and efficiency. The image segmentation results are used for generating crab cut lines in XYZ and angular directions, determining starting cutting points in Z plane, and guiding cutting tools and end effectors to automatically cut crabs and harvest crab meat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: University of Maryland, College Park
    Inventors: Yang Tao, Robert Vinson, Dongyi Wang, Maxwell Holmes, Gary E. Seibel
  • Patent number: 10925307
    Abstract: A system and methods are provided for removal of undesired portions of a fruit or vegetable, such as removal of calyxes from strawberries before they are flash frozen. An automated process for high-throughput fruit or vegetable calyx removal includes a loading system, an identification system, and a removal system. The loading system is configured to transport the fruit or vegetable through the automated process. The loading system may also orient the fruits or vegetables along an axis of the fruit and or align the fruit or vegetables in a desired pattern, orientation, and/or arrangement. The identification system is configured to locate the calyx and determines calyx position data and an optimal cutting path for individual fruit. The removal system uses data received from the identification system to separate the calyx from the fruit or vegetable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignees: California Strawberry Commission, University of Maryland
    Inventors: Yang Tao, John Lin, Xin Chen, Gary E. Seibel
  • Publication number: 20200379427
    Abstract: Intelligence guided system and method for fruits and vegetables processing includes a conveyor for carrying produces, various image acquiring and processing hardware and software, water and air jets for cutting and controlling the position and orientation of the produces, and a networking hardware and software, operating in synchronism in an efficient manner to attain speed and accuracy of the produce cutting and high yield and low waste produces processing. The 2nd generation strawberry decalyxing system (AVID2) uniquely utilizes a convolutional neural network (AVIDnet) supporting a discrimination network decision, specifically, on whether a strawberry is to be cut or rejected, and computing a multi-point cutline curvature to be cut along by rapid robotic cutting tool.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: YANG TAO, DONGYI WANG, ROBERT VINSON, XUEMEI CHENG, MAXWELL HOLMES, GARY E. SEIBEL
  • Publication number: 20190230972
    Abstract: A system and methods are provided for removal of undesired portions of a fruit or vegetable, such as removal of calyxes from strawberries before they are flash frozen. An automated process for high-throughput fruit or vegetable calyx removal includes a loading system, an identification system, and a removal system. The loading system is configured to transport the fruit or vegetable through the automated process. The loading system may also orient the fruits or vegetables along an axis of the fruit and or align the fruit or vegetables in a desired pattern, orientation, and/or arrangement. The identification system is configured to locate the calyx and determines calyx position data and an optimal cutting path for individual fruit. The removal system uses data received from the identification system to separate the calyx from the fruit or vegetable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2019
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Applicant: California Strawberry Commission
    Inventors: Yang Tao, John Lin, Xin Chen, Gary E. Seibel
  • Patent number: 10285429
    Abstract: A system and methods are provided for removal of undesired portions of a fruit or vegetable, such as removal of calyxes from strawberries before they are flash frozen. An automated process for high-throughput fruit or vegetable calyx removal includes a loading system, an identification system, and a removal system. The loading system is configured to transport the fruit or vegetable through the automated process. The loading system may also orient the fruits or vegetables along an axis of the fruit and or align the fruit or vegetables in a desired pattern, orientation, and/or arrangement. The identification system is configured to locate the calyx and determines calyx position data and an optimal cutting path for individual fruit. The removal system uses data received from the identification system to separate the calyx from the fruit or vegetable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: California Strawberry Commission
    Inventors: Yang Tao, John Lin, Xin Chen, Gary E. Seibel
  • Publication number: 20160255873
    Abstract: A system and methods are provided for removal of undesired portions of a fruit or vegetable, such as removal of calyxes from strawberries before they are flash frozen. An automated process for high-throughput fruit or vegetable calyx removal includes a loading system, an identification system, and a removal system. The loading system is configured to transport the fruit or vegetable through the automated process. The loading system may also orient the fruits or vegetables along an axis of the fruit and or align the fruit or vegetables in a desired pattern, orientation, and/or arrangement. The identification system is configured to locate the calyx and determines calyx position data and an optimal cutting path for individual fruit. The removal system uses data received from the identification system to separate the calyx from the fruit or vegetable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2016
    Publication date: September 8, 2016
    Inventors: Yang Tao, John Lin, Xin Chen, Gary E. Seibel
  • Patent number: 9364020
    Abstract: A process for automated high-throughput fruit or vegetable calyx removal includes a material handling system, a vision system, and a cutting system. The material handling system is capable of transporting the fruit or vegetable through the automated process. The material handling system may also orient the fruits or vegetables along an axis of the fruit and or align the fruit or vegetables in a desired pattern, orientation, and/or configuration. The vision system identifies the calyx and determines calyx position data and optimal cutting angle for individual fruit. The cutting system uses data received from the vision system to automatically remove the calyx from the fruit or vegetables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignees: California Strawberry Commission, University of Maryland
    Inventors: Yang Tao, John Lin, Xin Chen, Gary E. Seibel
  • Publication number: 20140272055
    Abstract: A process for automated high-throughput fruit or vegetable calyx removal includes a material handling system, a vision system, and a cutting system. The material handling system is capable of transporting the fruit or vegetable through the automated process. The material handling system may also orient the fruits or vegetables along an axis of the fruit and or align the fruit or vegetables in a desired pattern, orientation, and/or configuration. The vision system identifies the calyx and determines calyx position data and optimal cutting angle for individual fruit. The cutting system uses data received from the vision system to automatically remove the calyx from the fruit or vegetables.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: Yang Tao, John Lin, Xin Chen, Gary E. Seibel