Abstract: An article sorting apparatus and method is disclosed and which conveys a mixture of articles on a conveyor belt and through an inspection zone, and which includes at least one illumination source emitting red, green, and infrared radiation for illuminating the articles in the inspection zone; a detector system for sensing the red, green, and infrared radiation reflected from the articles in the inspection zone, and which generates red data, green data, and infrared data; a processor receiving the red data, green data, and infrared data and which generates article sorting data; and a sorter responsive to the sorting data for separating the articles into acceptable articles and unacceptable articles.

Abstract: A sorting system (110) conveys articles, such as peaches (114) on a conveyor belt (112) past an inspection zone (126) that is lighted by an illumination source (90) radiating a number of emission peaks over visible and infrared portions of the spectrum. The illumination source generates the radiation from an Indium Iodide lamp (92) that is reflected off a parabolic reflector (94) and through a “soda straw” collimator (100) to illuminated the peaches. A detector system (118) employs line scanning visible and infrared cameras (142, 140) to sense visible and IR wavelength reflectance values for the peach meat (124) and peach pit or pit fragments (126). Various image processing and analysis methologies, such as subtraction, ratio, logarithmic, regression, combination, angle, distance, and shape may be employed to enhance the image contrast and classify the resulting data for sorting the peaches.

Abstract: A peach sorting system (110) conveys peaches (114) on a conveyor belt (112) past an inspection zone (126) that is lighted by an illumination source (90) radiating a number of emission peaks over visible and infrared portions of the spectrum. The illumination source generates the radiation from an Indium Iodide lamp (92) that is reflected off a parabolic reflector (94) and through a “soda straw” collimator (100) to illuminated the peaches. A detector system (118) employs line scanning visible and infrared cameras (142, 140) to sense visible and IR wavelength reflectance value differences existing between peach meat (124) and peach pit or pit fragments (126). Because there is a reversal in the reflectance values between the visible and infrared wavelengths, a data subtraction technique (150) is employed to enhance the detection contrast ratio.

Abstract: A method of separating selected fruit from a volume of fruit is based on the reflectivity of the selected fruit. The method utilizes an automated optical inspection and sorting system to illuminate a volume of fruit including cranberries characterized by a spectral power distribution in the infrared spectral region. The system detects reflections of wavelengths of the illumination in the infrared spectral region, identifies the selected fruit based on the detected reflectivity, and sorts the selected fruit from the volume of fruit.

Abstract: A sorting system (10) propels a stream of randomly arranged PET and PVC articles (12, 14) through an inspection zone (20) including a first light polarizer/analyzer combination (24, 26), an article-detecting gap (G), and a second light polarizer/analyzer combination (28, 30). The first and second polarizer/analyzer combinations are oriented to extinguish normally incident light in the absence of articles in the inspection zone and are offset 45 degrees relative to each other such that at least one polarizer/analyzer combination detects a principal axis of birefringence of PET articles. The gap is employed to detect the presence of an article in the inspection zone. A video camera (22) includes first, second, and third CCD arrays (58, 60, 62) positioned to receive respective light rays (48, 64, 50) from the first light polarizer/analyzer combination, the gap, and the second light polarizer/analyzer combination and to generate first, second, and third video signals representative of the light each receives.

Abstract: A plastic container sorter (10) moves labeled plastic containers (14, 20, 48, 54, 58) of various colors and transparencies through an inspection zone (18). A pair of line-scanning color cameras (22, 24) capture respective transmittance and reflectance images of the containers and generate raw transmittance and reflectance image data. The raw container data are digitized, normalized, and binarized to provide accurate transmittance and reflectance container RGB image data and binarized image data for differentiating container image data from background data. Container sorting entails eroding (120) the binarized transmittance image and merging (122) the eroded image with the transmittance image data to yield a transmittance image. The eroded transmittance image is analyzed (124, 126) to determine whether the container is opaque. If the container is opaque, color analysis proceeds by analyzing the reflectance image data.

Abstract: In a preferred embodiment, a sorting apparatus according to the present invention includes a conveyor belt for carrying a stream randomly-arranged articles, at least some of which are post-consumer plastic articles made of PVC and others of which are made of PET. The conveyor belt carries the articles to an irradiation area where they are irradiated with ultraviolet light that induces the post-consumer articles of PVC to emit phosphorescent light that persists after the irradiation ends. The conveyor belt then carries the articles to an inspection zone that is isolated from the ultraviolet light. A video camera is positioned to receive phosphorescent light emitted from post-consumer articles made of PVC. Other articles commonly in the stream of post-consumer plastic articles (e.g., PET) do not emit phosphorescent light and are, therefore, distinguishable from the PVC articles.

Abstract: A color line scan video camera (50) for inspecting articles (18) includes a prismatic beam splitter arrangement (52) that receives a wide spectrum of visible light from a variable magnification objective lens arrangement (54) to provide improved multi-color inspection capability. The prismatic beam splitter separates the light received from the scanned articles into three preselected spectral bands of light, each of which is imaged upon a different charge-coupled device line scan sensor that generates a corresponding color component video signal. The light transmission characteristics of the lens are "color-corrected" to transmit uniformly the light received from the scanned articles.