JP4342332B2 - Object evaluation device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a light receiving means for receiving a measurement target position where the evaluation target is located in a resolution state where a range smaller than the size of the evaluation target is a unit light receiving target range, and light reception information obtained by the light receiving means. It is related with the target object evaluation apparatus provided with the target object evaluation means which evaluates the said evaluation target object based on.

In the object evaluation apparatus having the above-described configuration, conventionally, the light receiving unit includes a plurality of light receiving units capable of taking out light reception information individually with a range smaller than the size of the evaluation target as a light receiving target range. A one-dimensional light receiving sensor for receiving light from the evaluation object, and configured to receive light transmitted through or reflected by the evaluation object by the light receiving sensor. If the amount of light received by the multiple light receiving parts of the sensor is outside the appropriate light amount range corresponding to the evaluation object, it is a normal evaluation object if it is within the appropriate light amount range, and if it is outside the appropriate light amount range There was one provided with a control unit that discriminates a defective product (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this configuration, it is necessary to determine that the area where the evaluation target object does not exist is the same area as the non-defective object, in other words, the normal evaluation target object. The received light amount is adjusted to be within an appropriate light amount range.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-225412

  By the way, as evaluation with respect to the evaluation object, it is desired to be able to evaluate the size of the evaluation object. For example, when rice grains such as brown rice and polished rice are to be evaluated, a small amount of normal rice grains are included in the granular material group containing fine grains such as crushed rice and waste rice that have been selected and collected in a rice mill processing facility. In order to separate normal rice grains from such a group of granular materials, it is necessary to evaluate the size of the evaluation object, that is, the evaluation object is larger than the set size. It is desired to evaluate whether there is an evaluation object that is smaller than a set size.

  In response to such a demand, it is conceivable to evaluate the size of the evaluation object as described above by using the object evaluation apparatus having the above-described conventional configuration. If the amount of light received by the light receiving unit is within the appropriate light amount range corresponding to the evaluation object, all are determined as normal evaluation objects, so the size of the evaluation object can be evaluated based on the determination result by the control unit. It was impossible.

Therefore, as a configuration for evaluating the size of the evaluation object using the light reception information of the light receiving means having the above configuration, the image processing apparatus includes image information acquisition means for acquiring two-dimensional image information from the light reception information of the light receiving means, and the target It is conceivable that the object evaluation unit is configured to process the light reception information of the light receiving unit using the following general image processing technique to evaluate the size of the evaluation object. That is, the image information acquisition unit performs a process for obtaining image information quantized using an A / D converter or the like every time a plurality of light reception information measured by a plurality of light receiving units in the light reception unit is detected. This is repeated every time elapses, and two-dimensional image information is acquired as a result of performing the setting times. The acquired two-dimensional image information is stored in the image memory.
Then, as the object evaluation means, the two-dimensional image information stored in the image memory is set at a set threshold value so as to be divided into an area corresponding to the evaluation object and an area corresponding to the other space. In order to evaluate the size of each of the plurality of evaluation objects existing in the two-dimensional image information, the binary value is processed in order to store the processing result in the storage means. For each pixel forming one image, in order to determine whether or not the pixel determined to be the evaluation target by forming the image is forming one image in which the pixels are connected Evaluation is performed by executing a labeling process for identifying a single continuous image, storing the determination result in another storage means, and counting the number of pixels forming each labeled image. Of the object A configuration that seek of trees.

  However, as described above, when two-dimensional image information is processed using a general image processing technique to evaluate the size of the evaluation object, the two-dimensional image information is stored. In addition to the storage means for storing, a storage means for storing the discrimination result in the binarization process and a storage means for storing the discrimination result in the labeling process are also required, and many storage means are required. Therefore, there is a disadvantage that the configuration becomes complicated.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an object evaluation apparatus that can eliminate the disadvantages described above and can evaluate the size of an evaluation object, while simplifying the apparatus configuration. The point is to provide.

A first characteristic configuration of the present invention includes: a light receiving unit that receives a measurement target position where the evaluation target is located in a resolution state in which a range smaller than the size of the evaluation target is a unit light receiving target range; and the light receiving unit An object evaluation device provided with an object evaluation means for evaluating the evaluation object based on the obtained light reception information,
The evaluation object is a rice grain,
A transfer means for transferring the evaluation object in a state of being layered in a single layer along the planned transfer path and in a plurality of rows along the path width direction while passing through the measurement target part;
A light projecting means for projecting light onto a laterally expanded evaluation object located in the measurement target location;
A one-dimensional type in which the light receiving means repeatedly measures the measurement target portion at a set time in a resolution state in which a range smaller than the size of the evaluation target object is a unit light reception target range in a path width direction of the scheduled transfer path. A light receiving means,
Image information acquisition means for acquiring two-dimensional image information from light reception information of the light reception means is provided,
The object evaluation means is
Light reception of a pixel positioned in a specific positional relationship among the target pixel and pixels positioned around the target pixel, with one pixel in the two-dimensional image information acquired by the image information acquisition unit as a target pixel A sum information calculation process for calculating the received light amount total information for the target pixel by adding the amounts in a state in which a setting weighting condition is added, and for the total light information for the pixels in the two-dimensional image information; Configured to perform a size evaluation process for evaluating the size of the evaluation object based on the total amount information,
If the set weighting condition is an evaluation object having a size over all of the pixels located in the specific positional relationship, the received light amount summation information is large and is smaller than the size over all of the pixels located in the specific positional relationship. the light receiving amount sum information if the evaluation object Ri condition der becomes smaller,
Previous SL object evaluation unit is configured to evaluate said object to be evaluated if the greater than receiving the sum information set determination value for the target pixel is a large evaluation object than the set size,
Based on the evaluation information of the object evaluation means, the evaluation object transferred along the scheduled transfer path by the transfer means is an evaluation object larger than the set size and other evaluation objects. There is a separation means for separating them.

  According to the first characteristic configuration, the image information acquisition unit acquires two-dimensional image information from the light reception information of the light receiving unit, and the object evaluation unit is based on the two-dimensional image information acquired by the image information acquisition unit. The total information calculation process is executed. In other words, with one pixel in the two-dimensional image information as a target pixel, the light receiving amount of the pixel located in a specific positional relationship among the target pixel and the pixels located around the target pixel is added with a setting weighting condition. In this state, the sum of the received light amount information is calculated for all the pixels in the two-dimensional image information. In other words, if the received light amount is large enough to indicate that all of the pixels located in the specific positional relationship around the target pixel are evaluation objects, the total received light amount The information is a large value, but if the received light amount is a small amount indicating that many or all of the pixels located in the specific positional relationship are not evaluation objects, the received light amount summation information is Small value. Depending on the size of the total received light amount information, for example, an evaluation object that is a large evaluation object or a smaller evaluation object that covers all areas of pixels located in a specific positional relationship around the target pixel. It is possible to evaluate the size of the evaluation object, such as evaluating whether or not there is.

  When executing the process of calculating the total amount of received light as described above, it can be handled by simply processing the two-dimensional image information acquired by the image information acquisition unit. It is not necessary to temporarily store the received light amount summation information in the storage means, but storage means for temporarily storing information on the progress of processing necessary for evaluating such an evaluation object. Is no longer necessary.

  Therefore, while it is possible to evaluate the size of the evaluation object, the number of storage means for storing information on the progress of the process necessary for evaluating the evaluation object is reduced. It came to be able to provide the target object evaluation apparatus which can simplify an apparatus structure.

Further , according to the first characteristic configuration, when the rice grain is an evaluation object, the object evaluation means is that the rice grain as the evaluation object is a rice grain larger than the set size if the received light total information is larger than the set discrimination value. Will be evaluated. With such a configuration, normal rice grains and rice grains smaller than the normal rice grains, for example, a two-dimensional acquired by the image information acquisition means for a granular group including crushed rice grains and immature rice grains, etc. Based on the image information, it is possible to evaluate the size of the rice grains and identify normal rice grains and smaller rice grains.

Further , according to the first characteristic configuration, the evaluation object is transferred in a single layer along the scheduled transfer path and in a horizontally expanded state along the horizontal direction of the path by the transfer means, and is transferred to the measurement target location. Light is projected by the light projecting means onto the laterally expanded evaluation object. Then, the image information acquisition means uses the one-dimensional light receiving means to set the measurement target location at a set time in a resolution state in which the range smaller than the size of the evaluation target is set as the unit light reception target range in the path width direction of the scheduled transfer path. ing to be repeatedly measured.

  With this configuration, it is possible to acquire two-dimensional image information using a simple one-dimensional light receiving unit, and the configuration of the image information acquiring unit can be configured to be simple. It becomes possible.

Further , according to the first characteristic configuration, two-dimensional image information is acquired by the image information acquisition unit at the measurement target portion while the evaluation object is transferred by the transfer unit, and the information obtained by the image information acquisition unit is obtained. The object evaluation means evaluates whether the evaluation object is an evaluation object larger than the set size or other evaluation object, and based on the evaluation information, the separation means The evaluation object transferred along is separated into an evaluation object larger than the set size and other evaluation objects.

  Therefore, while transferring the evaluation object, the two-dimensional image information acquisition by the image information acquisition means, the evaluation by the object evaluation means, and the separation by the separation means are sequentially performed, so that the evaluation result is obtained. It is possible to perform a series of processes for separating evaluation objects with a smooth operation and to perform an evaluation process by the object evaluation means quickly, so that the series of processes described above can be performed quickly. Is possible.

According to a second feature configuration of the present invention, in addition to the first feature configuration, the object evaluation means evaluates the quality of the evaluation object based on information of each pixel in the one-dimensional light receiving means. The pixel-by-pixel evaluation process is configured to be executed.

According to the second characteristic configuration, the object evaluation means evaluates the quality of the evaluation object based on the information of each pixel in the one-dimensional light receiving means. The one-dimensional light receiving means repeatedly measures a measurement target portion at a set time in a resolution state in which a range smaller than the size of the evaluation target is set as a unit light reception target range in the path width direction of the scheduled transfer path. Therefore, the information of each pixel in the one-dimensional light receiving means is intended for the unit light receiving target range in a range smaller than the size of the evaluation object.

  In other words, since the quality is evaluated for a range smaller than the size of the evaluation object, there is a defect in a part of the evaluation object or there is a foreign object smaller than the size of the evaluation object. In such a case, it becomes possible to identify the presence of an evaluation object having a defect in such a part or the presence of a small foreign object.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of an object evaluation apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows an object evaluation apparatus that evaluates a rice grain group such as brown rice or polished rice as an evaluation object while transferring the rice grain group along a planned transfer path. In this apparatus, a plate-like shooter 1 on which a flat guide surface is formed over the entire width in the width direction is installed at a predetermined angle (for example, 60 degrees) with respect to a horizontal plane. The rice grain group conveyed and supplied from the provided storage tank 7 by the feeder 9 is guided to flow down in a horizontally expanded state in which the upper surface of the shooter 1 is in a single layer and arranged in a plurality of rows along the lateral direction of the path. Yes. That is, the flow path from the upper surface and the lower end of the shooter 1 forms a planned transfer path, and the shooter 1 uses the rice grain group as the selection target object and sets the selection target object along the planned transfer path. A transfer means for passing and transferring to a separation location on the lower side of the path from the position of the measurement target location is configured. In addition, since it aims at making it transfer in a single layer state here, even if a particle | grain overlaps partially by a flow state, it is contained in the concept of a single layer state.

  In the storage tank 7, rice grains supplied from an external rice mill, etc., those that are subjected to the primary sorting of the rice grains from the outside, and those that are re-sorted, or crushed rice and scrap rice generated in the rice-milling processing equipment, etc. A granular material group including fine particles such as is stored. The tank 7 is formed in a tapered cylinder toward the lower end side, and the amount of rice grains that have fallen on the feeder 9 from the storage tank 7 to the shooter 1 is adjusted by changing the conveyance speed of the rice grains due to the vibration of the feeder 9. The

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a measurement target location J for the rice grain group is set in the planned transfer path IK in which the rice grain group moves and falls from the lower end of the shooter 1. A front-side line light source 4B that illuminates the front side (left side in FIG. 2) of the planned transfer path IK and a rear-side line light source 4A that illuminates the rear side (right side in FIG. 2) of the planned transfer path IK. Is provided. Diffusing and transmitting plates 18A and 18B are arranged in the path of the illumination light connecting the line light sources 4A and 4B and the measurement target point J, respectively, and the back side and part of the side portions of the line light sources 4A and 4B are arranged. In a covered state, curved diffuse reflectors 20A and 20B having a matte white coating on the inner surface are arranged. Both the line-shaped light sources 4A and 4B constitute light projecting means for projecting light onto the measurement target portion J.

  Illumination light from the front-side line-shaped light source 4B is reflected by the rice grain group reflected by the rice grain group at the measurement target point J and transmitted through the rice grain group by the irradiation light from the rear-side line-like light source 4A. The reflected light reflected from the rice grains at the measurement target location J and the illumination light from the front line light source 4B and the illumination light from the front line light source 4A receiving the light and the rear line light source 4A are measured. A rear surface side light receiving device 5 </ b> A that receives the transmitted light that has passed through the rice grain group at the target location J is provided. The transmitted light that has passed through the rice grain group as described above has a very small value as compared with the reflected light, and the light received by each of the light receiving devices 5A and 5B can be regarded as substantially equal to the reflected light. Each of the line light sources 4A and 4B includes a lower light source that illuminates the measurement target portion J from obliquely below so as to illuminate the rice grain group from a plurality of directions inclined with respect to the light receiving directions of the light receiving devices 5A and 5B. And an upper light source that illuminates the measurement target portion J from obliquely above. And even if the measurement target part J is illuminated from a different direction by changing the illumination angle of the illumination light in this way, even when the rice grain group is laterally displaced from the normal measurement target part J, it is as good as possible in a uniform state. It can be illuminated.

  As shown in FIG. 6, both the light receiving devices 5A and 5B have a plurality of light receiving elements 5a as a plurality of light receiving portions that receive light from the wide measurement target portion J, and a path width of the measurement target portion J. It is comprised so that it may juxtapose along a direction. That is, a plurality of light receiving elements 5a each having a range p (for example, 0.1 mm or less) smaller than the size of each rice grain of the rice grain group corresponding to the wide measurement target portion J is formed in a line shape. It is configured as a one-dimensional light receiving means provided in a state of being arranged in a line. Specifically, each of the light receiving devices 5A and 5B includes a monochrome type CCD sensor unit 50 provided so that the light receiving elements 5a are arranged in a straight line, and an image of a rice grain group at a measurement target location J of the CCD sensor. For example, in FIG. 6, a plurality of one-dimensional light receiving information from each light receiving element 5 a is sequentially extracted. Each of the light receiving devices 5A and 5B is configured to repeatedly measure and output a plurality of such one-dimensional light receiving information for each set time.

  A background light amount adjustment unit 8 is provided that projects light toward each of the light receiving devices 5A and 5B in the light receiving direction of each of the light receiving devices 5A and 5B. Yes. The background light amount adjustment unit 8 includes a plurality of LED light emitting elements 80 arranged in a dense state along the width direction of the measurement target portion J, and light projection in an area where the plurality of LED light emitting elements 80 are installed. And a diffusion plate 81 that diffuses light emitted from the plurality of LED light emitting elements 80.

  In other words, as shown in FIG. 4, the casing 83 is formed in an elongated shape along the lateral width direction of the measurement target portion J, has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape, and has an open front portion. Is provided with an LED substrate 82 on which a plurality of LED light emitting elements 80 are installed. The LED substrate 82 is installed in a state where a plurality of LED light emitting elements 80 are arranged in a dense state along the lateral width direction. The LED substrate 82 is attached to a heat radiating plate 84 made of an aluminum plate screwed to the casing 83 by affixing it via a silicon heat radiating resin. On the other hand, on the front side of the LED substrate 82, a diffusion plate 81 for diffusing the light emitted by the LED light emitting element 80 is provided between each LED light emitting element 80 at the center in the arrangement direction of the plurality of LED light emitting elements 80. The separation distance is large, and the both ends in the arrangement direction are provided in a curved state so that the separation distance between each LED light emitting element 80 is small. By bending the diffusing plate 81 in this way, the light is prevented so that the light intensity at the measurement target portion J becomes large at the center in the width direction and becomes small at the end portion. Is made as uniform as possible in the width direction.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a dimming device 85 is provided that can change and adjust the light emission output of the LED light emitting element 80 in the background light amount adjusting unit 8, and this dimming device 85 is controlled by the control device 10 to be described later. The light emission output of the LED light emitting element 80 is changed and adjusted based on the command.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the front-side line light source 4B and the front-side light receiving device 5B are housed in one housing part 13B, and the rear-side line light source 4A and the rear-side light receiving device 5A are housed in the other housing part 13A. Both storage portions 13A and 13B are formed in a single box with a common side plate, and each storage portion 13A and 13B has transmission windows 14A and 14B made of plate-like transparent glass on the side facing the measurement target location J. It has. That is, the line-shaped light sources 4A and 4B and the light receiving devices 5A and 5B are housed in the housing portions 13A and 13B having the transmission windows 14A and 14B on the side facing the measurement target portion J, respectively. 4A and 4B illuminate the measurement target location J through the transmission windows 14A and 14B, and the light receiving devices 5A and 5B receive light from the measurement target location J through the transmission windows 14A and 14B. Has been.

  At the separation location on the lower side of the route from the measurement target location J of the planned transfer route IK, air is blown to the separation determined based on the light reception information at the measurement target location J and separated from the moving-down direction. An air blowing device 6 is provided as a separating means for causing the air blowing device 6 to divide and form a plurality of injection nozzles 6a into a plurality of sections with the entire width of the scheduled transfer path IK having a predetermined width. The jet nozzles 6a are arranged in a state corresponding to the compartments, and the jet nozzles 6a in the compartments where the separation object exists are configured to operate.

  And the receiving port part 2B for flow-down which collects the rice grains which flow down from the lower end part of the shooter 1 along the predetermined path without collecting the air from the spray nozzle 6a. , A separation receiving port 3B that collects the separation object separated in the horizontal direction from the flow direction by receiving the blowing of air is provided, and the flow receiving port portion 2B is formed in an elongated cylindrical shape in the horizontal width direction, A separation receiving port 3B is formed so as to surround the periphery of the flow receiving port 2B.

  As shown in FIG. 1, vertical frames F2, F3, and F4 standing on a bottom plate F1 having legs F0 are connected by horizontal frames F5, F6, and F7 to form a machine frame. An operation unit 21 for instructing the operation content is installed in an upper oblique portion of the front side vertical frame F4, a vibration generator 9A for the feeder 9 is installed on the horizontal frame F5, and an air tank for supplying air to the air blowing device 6 is provided. 15 is installed on the bottom plate F1. Further, the box-shaped storage portions 13A and 13B are supported on the front side by the vertical frame F4 and on the rear side by the vertical frame F3, and the chute 1 is supported on the upper side by the horizontal frame F6 and on the lower side by the storage portion 13B. . A cover C covering the outer surface of the apparatus is attached to the machine frame. The operation unit 21 is provided with an operation tool for adjusting a threshold for determining the amount of light, although not shown, in addition to an operation mode setting device 20 that instructs operation mode switching as will be described later.

Next, the control configuration will be described.
As shown in FIG. 5, a control device 10 using a microcomputer is provided. In this control device 10, the image signals from both the light receiving devices 5 </ b> A and 5 </ b> B and the operation mode setting device 20 as described above in the operation unit 21 are provided. Command information. On the other hand, from the control device 10, a driving signal for the lighting circuit 19 for lighting the line light sources 4A and 4B, a driving signal for a plurality of electromagnetic valves 11 for turning on / off each air supply to each injection nozzle 6a, and A drive signal for the feeder vibration generator 9 </ b> A and a control command signal to the dimmer 85 are output.

  The control device 10 is configured to execute a pixel-by-pixel evaluation process that evaluates the quality of the evaluation object based on information on each pixel in the light receiving devices 5A and 5B. Further, the control device 10 is configured to execute signal processing for acquiring two-dimensional image information from the image signals from both the light receiving devices 5A and 5B obtained by receiving the measurement target portion. In addition, based on the two-dimensional image information, a size evaluation process as to whether or not the evaluation object is an evaluation object larger than a set size, specifically, a normal rice grain or crushed rice Etc., and a process for evaluating whether the grains are smaller than normal rice grains.

  When the abnormality detection mode is set as the operation mode by the operation mode setting unit 20, the pixel-by-pixel evaluation process is executed, and when the rice grain detection mode is set as the operation mode, the size evaluation process is executed. It is configured. The pixel-by-pixel evaluation processing may be performed when there are small foreign matters such as defective rice grains or pebbles partially defective in a granular group containing many normal rice grains. It is used to remove from the group. On the other hand, when the normal rice grains are present in the granular material group including fine grains such as crushed rice and waste rice generated in the rice milling processing equipment, the size evaluation process is performed by converting the normal rice grains into granular bodies. It is used to take out from the group.

Next, the pixel-by-pixel evaluation process will be described.
In this pixel-by-pixel evaluation process, when the amount of light received by each pixel in each of the light receiving devices 5A and 5B is out of the appropriate light amount range (ΔEt, ΔEh), it is determined that there is a defect in the region corresponding to that pixel. Is configured to do. The upper limit value and the lower limit value of the appropriate light amount ranges ΔE1, ΔE2 for each light receiving element 5a of each light receiving device 5A, 5B are preset and stored in the control device 10. Then, the amount of light projected from the background light amount adjustment unit 8 is changed and adjusted so as to be approximately the center value of the appropriate light amount range.

The light reception output of each of the light receiving devices 5A and 5B in the pixel-by-pixel evaluation process will be described.
As shown in FIG. 7, when the output voltage corresponding to the amount of light received by each light receiving unit 5a in the front side light receiving device 5B is in the appropriate light amount range ΔEt for the rice grain group, the presence of normal rice grains is determined, and within the set appropriate range When it is out of ΔEt, it is determined whether the rice grain is defective or foreign matter is present. In the figure, e0 is the output voltage level for standard transmitted light from normal rice grains. Then, in the figure, when it is smaller than the appropriate light amount range ΔEt as indicated by e1 and e2, the presence of defective rice grains, foreign matters, etc. (for example, black stone grains) is determined, and appropriate as indicated by e3 in the figure. When it is larger than the light amount range ΔEt, the presence of defective rice grains k or the foreign matter is determined. As an example of the defective rice grain k or foreign matter on the bright side, a light colored transparent glass piece or the like can be mentioned.

  At this time, since the amount of light projected from the background light amount adjusting unit 8 is adjusted so as to be approximately the center value of the appropriate light amount range, in the region corresponding to the background where rice grains do not exist in the measurement target portion, Since the same amount of light as the normal rice grain k is obtained, it is determined as a normal rice grain.

  On the other hand, similarly in the rear side light receiving device 5B, as shown in FIG. 8, when the output voltage corresponding to the amount of light received by each light receiving unit 5a is within the appropriate light amount range ΔEh, the presence of normal rice grains is determined, When the proper light amount range ΔEh is not satisfied, it is determined whether the rice grain is defective or the foreign matter is present. In the figure, e0 ′ is an output voltage level with respect to a standard amount of received light from normal rice grains. Then, as shown by e1 ′ and e2 ′ in the figure, the presence of defective rice grains, foreign matters, etc. (for example, black stone grains) is determined when it is smaller than the appropriate light amount range ΔEt, and shown by e3 ′ in the figure. Thus, the presence of a glass piece or the like is determined when it is larger than the appropriate light amount range ΔEt. Also in the rear side light receiving device 5A, similarly to the front side light receiving device 5B, the amount of light projected from the background light amount adjusting unit 8 is adjusted so as to be approximately the center value of the appropriate light amount range.

  In the above description, the front side line light source 4B and the rear side line light source 4A are both turned on, but the evaluation process is performed. In some cases, the evaluation process is performed in a state where only the line-shaped light source 4B is turned on and the rear-side line-shaped light source 4A is turned off. For example, a normal rice grain k is set as “glutinous rice”, and “glutinous rice” is selected as defective. In this case, the front side light receiving device 5B receives the light irradiated from the front side linear light source 4B and reflected from the rice grains, and the rear side light receiving device 5A is irradiated from the front side linear light sources 4B and transmitted through the rice grains. Upon receiving the light, the control device 10 performs a process of evaluating whether the rice grain is “glutinous rice” or “glutinous rice” based on the received light information.

  Based on the defect determination information, the control device 10 uses at least one of the light receiving devices 5A and 5B among the granular material group transferred to the measurement target position J of the light receiving devices 5A and 5B. When it is determined that the rice grain is defective or the presence of foreign matter, as the transfer time from the measurement target position J to the air injection position by the injection nozzle 6a elapses, the defective rice grain or foreign matter flowing down On the other hand, air is blown from the jet nozzle 6a in the section corresponding to the position in the horizontal direction of the downflow path of the pixel where the presence of the defective rice grain or foreign material is detected, and the defective rice grain or foreign material flows down the other granular material group. The control is executed so as to be separated from the path and collected in the separation receiving port 3B (see FIG. 3).

Next, the size evaluation process will be described.
In this size evaluation process, when the amount of light received by each pixel in each of the light receiving devices 5A and 5B becomes a large value exceeding the set threshold value, it is determined that rice grains are present in the region corresponding to the pixel. It is configured. As described above, the set threshold value for each light receiving element 5a of each light receiving device 5A, 5B is preset and stored in the control device 10. Then, the light amount of light projected from the background light amount adjustment unit 8 is changed and adjusted so that the light amount value is low enough to identify the region where no rice grains exist.

The light reception output of each of the light receiving devices 5A and 5B in the size evaluation process will be described.
As shown in FIG. 9, when the output voltage corresponding to the amount of light received by each light receiving unit 5a in the front side light receiving device 5B exceeds the set threshold value Lt, the presence of rice grains is determined, and when the output voltage falls below the set threshold value Lt, rice grains exist. It is determined that there is not. At this time, since the light amount e6 of the light projected from the background light amount adjusting unit 8 is adjusted so as to be a light amount value that is low enough to be recognized as an area where no rice grains exist, no rice grains exist in the measurement target portion. In the pixel corresponding to the region, that is, the background, it is determined that no rice grain exists. In this case, at a position where normal rice grains are present (indicated by e4) and a position where fine grains are present (indicated by e5), the output voltage (the amount of received light) of the light receiving element 5a is a high value exceeding the set threshold value Lt. Thus, the value is lower than the set threshold value Lt at a position where no rice grain exists (a position corresponding to the background).

  As shown in FIG. 10, as for the output waveform of the rear light receiving device 5B, as in the case of the front light receiving device 5A, when the output voltage corresponding to the amount of light received by each light receiving unit 5a exceeds the set threshold value Lh for the rice grain group The presence of the rice grain is determined, and if it falls below the set threshold Lh, it is determined that the rice grain does not exist. At the position where normal rice grains are present (indicated by e4 ′) and the position where fine grains are present (indicated by e5 ′), the output voltage (the amount of received light) of the light receiving element 5a is higher than the set threshold value Lh. The value is lower than the set threshold Lh at a position where rice grains do not exist (a position corresponding to the background and indicated by e6 ′).

  When executing the size evaluation processing, the control device 10 executes signal processing for acquiring two-dimensional image information from the image signals from the light receiving devices 5A and 5B, and the two-dimensional image. Based on the information, it is configured to perform a size evaluation process as to whether or not the evaluation object is an evaluation object larger than the set size. Therefore, the signal processing means 101 is configured to execute signal processing for acquiring two-dimensional image information from light reception information from the one-dimensional light receiving device using the control device 10. Moreover, the object evaluation means 102 which performs the said magnitude | size evaluation process using the control apparatus 10 is comprised. The object evaluation unit 102 executes the size evaluation process when the rice grain detection mode is set as the operation mode, but executes the pixel-by-pixel evaluation process when the abnormality detection mode is set as the operation mode. It will be.

That is, since the control device 10 repeatedly detects and inputs detection information of a plurality of light receiving elements 5a provided in a line in the light receiving device at a set time, the control device 10 The signal processing is performed so as to generate two-dimensional image information based on the detection information. In other words, the control device 10 includes an A / D converter for A / D converting and quantizing the image signal input from each light receiving device, an image memory for storing the quantized image information, and the like. The detection information of the plurality of light receiving elements 5a is repeatedly detected every set time, and signal processing is performed so as to generate two-dimensional image information based on the detected information. It is configured to acquire dimensional image information. And it is comprised so that the following sum total information calculation processing may be performed with the signal processing.
Therefore, image information acquisition means for acquiring two-dimensional image information from the light reception information of each of the light receiving devices 5A and 5B as the light receiving means by the signal processing means 101, the A / D converter, the image memory and the like in the control device 10. A GS is configured.

Next, the total information calculation process will be described.
Assuming that one pixel in the two-dimensional image information acquired as described above is a target pixel, the received light amount of a pixel located in a specific positional relationship among the target pixel and the pixels located around the target pixel, The total amount of received light amount information is calculated for all the pixels in the two-dimensional image information by adding the setting weighting conditions.

Description will be added with reference to the principle diagram shown in FIG. In this figure, for ease of understanding, the number of target pixels is reduced, and a case where the evaluation object is large and a case where the evaluation object is large are illustrated for comparison.
One pixel in the two-dimensional image information is set as a target pixel and has the specific positional relationship with respect to the target pixel. For example, the target pixel is positioned at the center and a total of three in the vertical direction and in the horizontal direction. An area for nine pixels is set. Then, for this region, a value obtained by multiplying the light reception information of each pixel by a weighting coefficient as shown in (b) of FIG. 12 (all “1” in this example) as shown in (a) of FIG. Are added for all nine to calculate the total received light amount information for the target pixel. Note that the value shown in (a) of FIG. 12 represents the amount of received light. When this arithmetic processing is expressed using mathematical formulas, the following equation 1 is obtained. Here, f (n, m) represents a weighting coefficient corresponding to the area.

  FIG. 12C shows the received light amount summation information when each pixel is the target pixel. As can be seen from this figure, when the object is large, the light reception amount sum information of the central pixel is a large value (1170 in the example shown in the figure), and when the object is small, the light reception amount sum of the center pixel is large. The information is a small value (190 in the example shown in the figure). Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 12D and 12E, if the received light amount sum information thus obtained is smaller than a preset setting discrimination value (for example, 1000), the discrimination result is “0”. If the determination result is larger than the set determination value, it is possible to evaluate whether or not the evaluation object is an evaluation object larger than the set size by determining the identification result as “1”.

  FIG. 13 shows the actual measurement data of the applicant. In this figure, similarly to the case of FIG. 12, the case where the evaluation object is large, that is, the measurement result of normal rice grains, and the case where the evaluation object is small, that is, the measurement result of fine grains are illustrated. In this example, the total received light amount information is calculated by assigning a weighting coefficient of “0”, “1”, or “2” to a total of 48 pixels centering on the target pixel as pixels located in the specific positional relationship. It is the composition to do. FIG. 13A shows two-dimensional image information quantized with 256 bits, and FIG. 13B shows weighting coefficients for specific pixels. (C) in FIG. 13 shows the result for each pixel multiplied by the weighting coefficient, and (D) in FIG. 13 shows the total received light amount information in the target pixel. In this figure, when the evaluation object is large, the received light amount sum information is “4096”, and when the evaluation object is small, the received light amount sum information is “1028”. It should be noted that the final output as an indicator for determination is the values “128” and “32” obtained by normalizing the total received light amount information with the total weighting (32) of each pixel located in the specific positional relationship. I use it. Then, by setting an appropriate value, for example, “100”, as the setting determination value, it is possible to evaluate whether or not the evaluation object is an evaluation object larger than the set size. The reason for normalizing by the number of pixels is to match the reference for comparison even when the number of pixels changes.

And the said control apparatus 10 is normal in the granular material group transferred to the said measurement object position J in at least any one of both said light-receiving device 5A, 5B based on the evaluation result of the said magnitude | size evaluation process. When the presence of the rice grain is determined, as the transfer time from the measurement target position J to the air injection position by the injection nozzle 6a elapses, the normal rice grain k larger than the set size flowing down Then, air is blown from the jet nozzle 6a of the section corresponding to the position in the horizontal direction of the downstream path of the pixel where the presence of the normal rice grain k is detected, and the normal rice grain k is separated from the downstream path of the other granular material groups. Thus, the control is executed so as to collect in the separation receiving port 3B (see FIG. 11).
Incidentally, when this size evaluation process is executed, the feed rate of the rice grain group from the storage tank 7 to the feeder 9 is adjusted by changing the conveyance speed of the rice grain group due to the vibration of the feeder 9. The rice grains may be transported in a state where the grains are spaced as much as possible without overlapping each other.

  In addition, the numerical values indicating the number of pixels, the weighting coefficient, and the received light amount total information as described above are examples, and the present invention is not limited to such numerical values.

[Another embodiment]
Hereinafter, other embodiments are listed.

(1) In the above embodiment, the case where the size evaluation process is performed in a state where both the front-side line light source 4B and the rear-side line light source 4A are lit is illustrated, but the configuration is not limited thereto. For example, the size evaluation process can be performed in a state in which only one of the front side linear light source 4B and the rear side linear light source 4A is turned on and the other is turned off.
For example, when the front side linear light source 4B is turned on and the rear side linear light source 4A is turned off, the front side light receiving device 5B receives the light reflected from the rice grains irradiated from the front side linear light source 4B, The rear light receiving device 5A is configured to receive the light irradiated from the front line light source 4B and transmitted through the rice grains. At this time, the configuration for determining the presence or absence of the presence of rice grains based on the light reception information of the front side light receiving device 5B is the same as in the above embodiment, but the presence of rice grains is determined based on the light reception information of the rear side light receiving device 5A. The configuration for determining the presence or absence is different.

In other words, since the rear side light receiving device 5A detects transmitted light, the portion where the rice grains are present becomes dark by blocking the light, but the portion where no rice grains are present is dark because the light is transmitted therethrough. . Therefore, the background light amount adjustment unit 8 needs to be adjusted so that the light amount value is sufficiently high enough to identify the region where no rice grains exist.
The light reception output of the rear side light receiving device 5A will be described. As shown in FIG. 14, the set threshold value in which the output voltage corresponding to the light reception amount of each light receiving unit 5a in the rear side light receiving device 5A is set to an intermediate light amount value. If it is less than L, the presence of rice grains is determined, and if it exceeds the set threshold L, it is determined that no rice grains are present. At this time, since the light amount e6 of the light projected from the background light amount adjustment unit 8 is adjusted so as to have a sufficiently high light amount value, rice grains exist in a region where the rice grains do not exist in the measurement target portion, that is, pixels corresponding to the background. It will be determined that it is not. In this case, the output voltage (light reception amount) of the light receiving element 5a is set to the set threshold value L at a position where normal rice grains are present (indicated by e4 ″) and a position where fine grains are present (indicated by e5 ″). At a position where no rice grains exist (position corresponding to the background and indicated by e6 ″), the value is higher than the set threshold Lh.

  In the description so far, among the front side line light source 4B and the rear side line light source 4A, the case where the front side line light source 4B is turned on and the rear side line light source 4A is turned off has been described. Instead of the configuration, the rear side linear light source 4A is turned on, the front side linear light source 4B is turned off, and the rear side light receiving device 5A receives the light reflected from the rice grains irradiated from the rear side linear light source 4A. The front-side light receiving device 5B may receive light that has been irradiated from the rear-side linear light source 4A and transmitted through the rice grains. At this time, the light reception output of the front side light receiving device 5B is in a state as shown in FIG.

  By the way, in the said embodiment, in the said pixel-specific evaluation process, the front side light-receiving device 5B receives the light which was irradiated from the front side line-shaped light source 4B and reflected the rice grain, and the rear surface side light-receiving device 5A received the front side line-shaped light source The configuration for receiving the light irradiated from 4B and transmitted through the rice grains has been described as being used when normal rice grains k are set as “glutinous rice” and “glutinous rice” is selected as defective. Is not limited to rice grains, but can be suitably used when evaluating as an evaluation object a product whose material color is dark or difficult to transmit light in crops or industrial products other than rice.

(2) In the above embodiment, the front side light receiving device 5B and the rear side light receiving device 5A are provided as the light receiving means, and when executing the size evaluation process, the front side light receiving device 5B and the rear side light receiving device. When the presence of normal rice grains as an evaluation object larger than the set size is determined in at least one of 5A, the determined normal rice grains are separated and collected. Instead of such a configuration, the following configuration may be used.

  For example, when the presence of normal rice grains as an evaluation object larger than the set size is determined in each of the front side light receiving device 5B and the rear side light receiving device 5A, the determined normal rice grains are separated. It can be configured to be collected, or, as the light receiving means, information on only one of the front side light receiving device 5B or the rear side light receiving device 5A can be used as an evaluation object larger than a set size. As a configuration for determining the presence of normal rice grains, a configuration may be adopted in which normal rice grains determined based on the information are separated and collected. In this configuration, the pixel-by-pixel evaluation processing may be executed using light reception information of a light receiving device different from the light receiving device used as information of the size evaluation processing among the light receiving devices.

(3) In the above embodiment, a monochrome type CCD line sensor is used as the one-dimensional light receiving means. However, instead of such a monochrome type, a color type CCD sensor is used. The presence or absence of defective rice or foreign matter may be determined with higher accuracy from the amount of light received for each of G and B. In the above embodiment, each of the line sensor 5A for transmitted light and each line sensor 5B for reflected light is used. However, the size determination process is performed based on the light reception information of any one of them. You may do it.

( 4 ) In the above embodiment, the object evaluation unit executes the size evaluation process when the rice grain detection mode is set as the operation mode, and the pixel-by-pixel evaluation when the abnormality detection mode is set as the operation mode. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the size evaluation process and the pixel-specific evaluation process may be executed simultaneously. For example, the size evaluation process may be executed using light reception information of the transmission light-receiving device, and the pixel-specific evaluation process may be executed using light reception information of the reflection light-receiving device. At this time, the normal rice grains are allowed to flow down as they are, and the places where the defective grains such as defective grains and foreign substances are removed and collected, and the places where the fine grains which are smaller than the set size are removed are collected separately. In preparation, these three types may be collected separately.

( 5 ) In the above embodiment, the object evaluation unit is configured to execute a pixel-by-pixel evaluation process that evaluates the quality of the evaluation object based on the information of each pixel in the one-dimensional light receiving unit. However, such a pixel-based evaluation process may not be executed.

( 6 ) In the above embodiment, the separation means blows air against the defective object and separates it into a different path from the normal object. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the defective object is sucked with air. May be separated by mechanical contact, or may be separated by mechanical contact action.

( 7 ) In the above-described embodiment, the planned transfer path is configured by a flow-down path using a shooter having an oblique posture, but other than this, for example, a shooter in which a plurality of bowl-shaped paths are juxtaposed in the lateral direction. It may be configured.

Whole side view of granular material inspection equipment Side view of the main part Perspective view of the main part in a state where the pixel-by-pixel evaluation process is executed The figure which shows the structure of a background light quantity adjustment part Block diagram of control configuration Diagram showing the light receiving range of the light receiving device Output waveform diagram of front-side photo detector Output waveform diagram of rear-side photo detector Output waveform diagram of front-side photo detector Output waveform diagram of rear-side photo detector The perspective view of the principal part when performing size evaluation processing Principle diagram showing the procedure of the size evaluation process The figure which shows the procedure of the size evaluation processing based on the actual measurement data Output waveform diagram of rear surface side light receiving device according to another embodiment

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Transfer means 6 Separation means 4A, 4B Light projection means 5A, 5B Light reception means 102 Object evaluation means GS Image information acquisition means

Claims (2)

A light receiving means for receiving a measurement target position where the evaluation target is located in a resolution state in which a range smaller than the size of the evaluation target is a unit light reception target range;
An object evaluation device comprising object evaluation means for evaluating the evaluation object based on light reception information obtained by the light receiving means,
The evaluation object is a rice grain,
A transfer means for transferring the evaluation object in a state of being layered in a single layer along the planned transfer path and in a plurality of rows along the path width direction while passing through the measurement target part;
A light projecting means for projecting light onto a laterally expanded evaluation object located in the measurement target location;
A one-dimensional type in which the light receiving means repeatedly measures the measurement target portion at a set time in a resolution state in which a range smaller than the size of the evaluation target object is a unit light reception target range in a path width direction of the scheduled transfer path. A light receiving means,
Image information acquisition means for acquiring two-dimensional image information from light reception information of the light reception means is provided,
The object evaluation means is
Light reception of a pixel positioned in a specific positional relationship among the target pixel and pixels positioned around the target pixel, with one pixel in the two-dimensional image information acquired by the image information acquisition unit as a target pixel A sum information calculation process for calculating the received light amount total information for the target pixel by adding the amounts in a state in which a setting weighting condition is added, and for the total light information for the pixels in the two-dimensional image information; Configured to perform a size evaluation process for evaluating the size of the evaluation object based on the total amount information,
If the set weighting condition is an evaluation object having a size over all of the pixels located in the specific positional relationship, the received light amount summation information is large and is smaller than the size over all of the pixels located in the specific positional relationship. the light receiving amount sum information if the evaluation object Ri condition der becomes smaller,
Previous SL object evaluation unit is configured to evaluate said object to be evaluated if the greater than receiving the sum information set determination value for the target pixel is a large evaluation object than the set size,
Based on the evaluation information of the object evaluation means, the evaluation object transferred along the scheduled transfer path by the transfer means is an evaluation object larger than the set size and other evaluation objects. The object evaluation apparatus provided with the separation means to isolate | separate into . The said object evaluation means is comprised so that the evaluation process according to pixel which evaluates the quality of the said evaluation object may be performed based on each information of each pixel in the said one-dimensional type light-receiving means. The object evaluation apparatus described.

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