Agency:

Agricultural Research Service

December 30, 1997

The invention involves a way to sort agricultural commodities into different classes using a video image of the product. The invention is designed to optimize quality of harvested commodities. The signal level discontinuities in the image are evaluated by first deriving a video signal gradient of each pixel in the image. Then the number of pixels in three different signal gradient ranges is counted to produce count parameters which combined indicate the areas of differing contrast in the object. The count parameters are utilized in a pair of discriminate functions which define the two classes and solution of the discriminate functions are used to determine the probability that the object fits within one class. In response to the probability, the object is directed along either a first path associated with one class or along a second path associated with the other class. The invention can also be used to measure the surface quality and integrity of non-agricultural materials, such as screws.

Thomas C. Pearson

USDA, ARS, PWA, WRRC

Albany, California 94710

(510) 559-5868

(510) 559-5777 (fax)

Industry Keywords:

precision agriculture, commodities, quality, video, imaging, signal, pixel, engineering, electronic, photonic, food processing, materials, integrity