U.S. patent application number 10/635227 was filed with the patent office on 2005-02-10 for system for content analysis of comestible products using volumetric determination.
This patent application is currently assigned to Facet Technology Corporation. Invention is credited to Chapman, Steven A., Laumeyer, Robert A., Retterath, James E..
Application Number | 20050031185 10/635227 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27757403 |
Filed Date | 2005-02-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050031185 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Retterath, James E. ; et
al. |
February 10, 2005 |
System for content analysis of comestible products using volumetric
determination
Abstract
A system that performs content analysis on comestible products
using volumetric determination with a single-chamber technique in a
mass production environment. The content value determination system
includes a conveyor system, a system for weighing the comestible
products interposed along the path of the conveyor, a volumetric
determination station that consists of a plurality of receiving
chambers, and a control module. In this embodiment, each receiving
chamber is equipped with a pressure sensor and a mechanical system
for modifying the volume of the chamber. In addition, both the
pressure sensors and the volume modification system of each
receiving chamber are operably connected to the control module.
Inventors: |
Retterath, James E.;
(Excelsior, MN) ; Laumeyer, Robert A.;
(Minneapolis, MN) ; Chapman, Steven A.; (Eden
Prairie, MN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Bradley D. Pedersen
Patterson, Thuente, Skaar & Christensen, P.A.
4800 IDS Center
80 South 8th Street
Minneapolis
MN
55402-2100
US
|
Assignee: |
Facet Technology
Corporation
|
Family ID: |
27757403 |
Appl. No.: |
10/635227 |
Filed: |
August 6, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10635227 |
Aug 6, 2003 |
|
|
|
10226640 |
Aug 23, 2002 |
|
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6609423 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
382/141 ; 378/53;
73/149; 73/866 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01N 33/12 20130101;
G01F 22/02 20130101; G01N 9/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
382/141 ;
073/149; 378/053; 073/866 |
International
Class: |
G01N 033/12; G01N
023/06; G01F 022/02 |
Claims
1-3. Canceled.
4. An automated method for determining percentage bone content in a
meat product for use in a content value analysis, the method
comprising the steps of: subjecting the meat product to non-visible
radiation; detecting an amount of absorbed non-visible radiation by
the meat product; constructing an internal image of at least one
bone structure of the meat product based upon the detected absorbed
radiation; transmitting the image to a control module; and using
tile control module to calculate a percentage of bone material in
the meat product based upon the internal image of the at least one
bone structure.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the percentage of bone material
(K.sub.B) is determined as a ratio of a volume of bone material
(V.sub.B) derived from the internal image of the at least one bone
structure to an overall volume of the meat product (V.sub.O)
derived from an overall volume of the meat product.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the overall volume of the meat
product is derived by: enclosing the meat product in a single
volumetric measurement chamber; determining an initial pressure
inside the volumetric chamber, changing the volume of the
volumetric chamber by a known volume; determining a final pressure
inside the volumetric chamber after the volume has been changed;
and determining the overall volume of the meat product based upon
the known change in volume of the chamber, the initial pressure of
the chamber and the final pressure of the chamber.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein the percentage of bone material
(K.sub.B) is determined based on an animal type for the meat
product, a cut type for the meat product and a bone size value that
is determined at least in part based on the internal image of at
least one bone structure.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the percentage of bone material
(K.sub.B) is determined by a process selected from the set
consisting of: a solution to an algebraic formula, a value from a
lookup table, an extraction of empirical data, or any combination
thereof.
9. The method of claim 4, wherein the process is automated and
repeatedly performed for a series of similar meat products.
10. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:
subjecting the meat product to visible spectrum analysis to
determine an external image of at least one bone structure;
transmitting the external image of the at least one bone structure
to a control module; and utilizing the external image of the at
least one bone structure as part of the determination of the
percentage of bone material.
11. The method of claim 4, further comprising a determination of
missing pieces of the meat product by: subjecting the meat product
to visible spectrum analysis to determine a surface image of the
meat product; transmitting the surface image of the meat product to
the control module; and utilizing the surface image of the meat
product to provide the determination of missing pieces of the meat
product that is used as part of the determination of the percentage
of bone material.
12. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:
automatically determining a weight of the meat product;
transmitting the weight to the control module; and using the
control module to calculate the percentage of bone material in the
meat product as a function of the weight of the meat product.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a Divisional of application Ser.
No. 10/226,640, filed Aug. 23, 2002, entitled "SYSTEM FOR CONTENT
ANALYSIS OF COMESTIBLE PRODUCTS USING VOLUMETRIC
DETERMINATION."
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention is related to the field of volume
determination of comestible products, i.e. meat cuts and whole
animal carcasses. More specifically, the present invention is
directed towards methods and devices for the automated high-speed
volumetric determination of content values, including fat content,
in various comestible products.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Meat, poultry and fish producers are in the business of
converting live animals into consumable products for humans. These
producers experience thin profit margins and are constantly in
search of processes that can increase the quality of the product
offered to consumers.
[0004] One attribute that determines processed food quality is fat
content. For most meat, poultry and fish products for example,
reduced-fat cuts are more desirable and, as such, more profitable
for the producers. Unfortunately, fat content for whole animal
products or for processed animal parts is difficult to determine
since most of the contained fat is not exposed at the surface of
the whole animal carcass or processed cut. The industry needs a
reliable way of determining fat content for processed meat, fish
and poultry without subjecting the cut or carcass to destructive
processes.
[0005] It is relatively easy to precisely measure the weight (and
determine the mass) of meat, poultry and fish. Since fat and lean
densities are well known in these industries, the percentage of fat
content can be precisely determined if the exact volume of the cut
or carcass could be measured. Unfortunately, the industry has not
been able to realize a reliable approach for performing
non-contact, non-destructive volumetric measurement, particularly
in a mass production environment.
[0006] Previous methods for determining the fat content of cuts of
meat required measuring the volume of the cuts of meat by
compressing the tissue to a preselected state and directly
measuring the volume. More specifically, these previous methods
generally used a piston or a press plate to apply a substantial
force to the meat sample in order to compact the meat sample and
measure the volume. Examples are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,282,115
to Taylor et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,455,168 to Taylor et al.; U.S.
Pat. No. 3,487,698 to Leger et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,449,406 to
van Haren. There are several drawbacks to these previous approaches
for determining the volume of a meat sample. For example, the
previous methods are time-consuming, are not well suited for modern
automated food production facilities and do not provide a
non-contact means for measuring the volume of the comestible
product. In addition, these methods do not accurately measure the
volume of every cut of meat, nor do they provide a means for
determining the volume, and ultimately the fat content, of a whole
animal carcass.
[0007] Another volumetric method for determining the fat content of
an object consists of two connected chambers. In this method, the
object to be measured is enclosed in the first chamber, which is
connected to a second chamber of known volume. Pressure
measurements are then made in the chamber housing the object both
before and after a valve is opened connecting the two chambers.
Knowing the two pressures and the incremental volume of the second
chamber allows one to calculate the volume of the object in the
first chamber by Boyle's law. Examples of these two chamber
techniques are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,825 to Dempster and
U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,750 to Abler.
[0008] While a two-chamber approach to volumetric measurement can
be a useful way to compute the volume, and ultimately the fat
content, of human subjects, this approach does not lend itself to
the high-speed requirements of modern food processing facilities
because of cost and space issues. The two-chamber approach is
simply not feasible for mass production facilities because each
measurement chamber requires a second connected chamber of known
volume. With the large number of comestible products being
produced, it would be desirable to provide an automated high-speed
system for determining the volume, and ultimately the fat or other
content values, of comestible products that addresses these and
other shortcomings of the existing techniques.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention is a system that performs content
analysis on comestible products using volumetric determination with
a single chamber technique in a mass production environment. The
content value determination system includes a conveyor system, a
system for weighing the comestible products interposed along the
path of the conveyor, a volumetric determination station that
consists of a plurality of receiving chambers, and a control
module. In this embodiment, each receiving chamber is equipped with
a pressure sensor and a mechanical system for modifying the volume
of the chamber. In addition, both the pressure sensors and the
volume modification system of each receiving chamber are operably
connected to the control module.
[0010] In a preferred embodiment, the system includes an X-ray
emitter and collector that provide X-ray images as the comestible
products move along the path of the conveyor. The X-ray emitter and
collector are operably connected to the control module, where the
X-ray images are stored and used to determine the percentage of
each comestible product that is bone material. This feature of the
invention improves the overall accuracy of the content value
determination for boned objects.
[0011] In another embodiment of the present invention, a volumetric
determination device is provided. The volumetric determination
device includes a single selectively sealable volumetric
measurement chamber designed to enclose a comestible food product,
such as a meat cut or whole animal carcass. The volumetric
measurement chamber is equipped with a pressure sensor that is
operably coupled to a control module. The pressure sensor measures
the pressure inside the volumetric measurement chamber both before
and after the volume inside the chamber has been modified by a
known amount. A mechanical system is operably connected to the
volumetric measurement chamber and provides a method for changing
the volume of the chamber. In this embodiment, the volume of the
comestible product can be computed by the control module based upon
the initial pressure inside the chamber, the final pressure and the
known change in volume of the chamber.
[0012] In a method in accordance with the present invention, a
content value of a comestible product is determined by an automated
process. The comestible products are placed onto a conveyor system.
While moving along the conveyor system, the comestible products are
weighed by a weighing system interposed along the path of the
conveyor. The weighing system is operably connected to a control
module, which records the weight of each comestible product. The
conveyor system transports the comestible products to a volumetric
determination station that consists of multiple receiving chambers.
Each individual comestible product is encompassed in one of the
receiving chambers and the initial pressure inside the chamber is
recorded. The volume of the chamber is then modified by a known
amount by a mechanical system and a second pressure is recorded.
The control module, which is operably connected to each receiving
chamber, then computes the volume of each of a plurality of
comestible products based upon the change in pressure inside the
chambers and the known modified volume. Once the volume of the
comestible product is known, the control module can compute the fat
content, or other content values, of the comestible product based
upon the weight, volume and other characteristics of that
product.
[0013] The present invention defines a process for determining the
volume of any comestible product without exposing the product to
fluids, chemicals, or heat. The invention utilizes the simple
relationship between pressure and volume of a gas (commonly known
as Boyle's Law and expressed as P.sub.1*V.sub.1=P.sub.2*V.sub.2) to
compute the volume of a solid object. This method is especially
useful in whole poultry production where the carcass cavity is
mostly hidden from visual and other scanning methods.
[0014] In another embodiment of the invention, a method for
determining percentage bone content in a comestible product is
provided by subjecting the comestible product to non-visible
radiation. An amount of absorbed non-visible radiation by the
comestible product is detected and an internal image of at least
one bone structure of the comestible product based upon the
detected absorbed radiation is constructed. The image is
transmitted to a control module that calculates a percentage of
bone material in the comestible product based upon the internal
image of the at least one bone structure.
[0015] The products referred to in this invention can be comestible
products such as whole carcasses or cuts from carcasses of beef,
pork, sheep, chickens, turkeys or fish. The object to be measured
is placed in an airtight chamber of known volume. The pressure in
the chamber is recorded upon closure of the chamber. The volume of
the chamber is modified (preferably decreased) by a known amount
with a piston, bellows, or some other high-speed mechanical or
electromechanical device, and the resultant chamber pressure is
recorded. These values can be used to determine the precise volume
of the object in the chamber.
[0016] The objects described herein are primarily cuts and
carcasses of beef, pork, poultry and fish. However, the same
techniques can be used in other industries including, but not
limited to, fruits, vegetables, grains and other processed foods.
In fact, any industry that depends on high-volume manufacturing or
processing that wishes to determine the content value of a
particular ingredient of an intermediate or finished product can
utilize the methods and devices of the present invention.
[0017] In contrast to previous methods for determining the volume
of a meat cut which measured the volume of the meat cut directly,
the present invention is capable of precisely measuring the volume
of a whole animal carcass. This is accomplished primarily by
designing volumetric measurement chambers that are able to
accommodate either a cut of meat or an entire carcass. Furthermore,
the present invention is designed to measure the volume of an
object by utilizing only a single measurement chamber, thus
eliminating the need to have a second measurement chamber attached
to the first chamber.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 depicts a diagram of the volumetric determination
system for the static case.
[0019] FIG. 2 depicts a diagram of the fat content determination
assembly.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0020] The following discussion assumes familiarity of one skilled
in the art. Assume, for example, the initial pressure in a chamber
is P.sub.1, which occurs when the object to be measured is enclosed
within the chamber. P.sub.1 is probably the same pressure as the
air outside the chamber, but this is not a necessary assumption for
this invention. The volume in the chamber, which is precisely
known, is denoted as V.sub.c and can be expressed as the sum of the
volume of the object and the volume of the gas in the chamber.
V.sub.C=V.sub.O+V.sub.G (equation 1)
[0021] Where: V.sub.C=volume of measurement chamber
[0022] V.sub.O=volume of object to be measured
[0023] V.sub.G=volume of gas in chamber
[0024] This invention uses decreasing volume (which increases the
pressure) to determine the volume of the gas in the chamber. The
volume of the object, therefore, will be:
V.sub.O=V.sub.C-V.sub.G (equation 2)
[0025] As gas in a space is decreased in volume, for example, the
pressure within the space increases. This relationship of volume to
pressure for a gas is known as Boyle's Law and can be expressed
as:
P.sub.1*V.sub.1=P.sub.2*V.sub.2 (equation 3)
[0026] Where: P.sub.1=initial pressure of gas in chamber
[0027] P.sub.2=pressure of gas in chamber after volume is
decreased
[0028] V.sub.1=original volume of gas in chamber
[0029] V.sub.2=final volume of gas in chamber
[0030] There are two key factors not accounted for in equation
3--temperature and absorption. As a volume of gas is compressed,
its temperature will rise. In addition, the cut of meat being
measured will absorb some of the compressed gas. For a given
volumetric measurement operation, all cuts of meat will be roughly
the same size and will occur within equivalent amounts of time.
Thus, the temperature increase of the gas and the absorption of the
gas by the cut of meat will be roughly equivalent for all objects
being measured. As such, it is possible to empirically determine a
constant K.sub.V that can be used to modify equation 3 as:
P.sub.1*V.sub.1=K.sub.V*P.sub.2*V.sub.2 (equation 4)
[0031] If a piston with a displacement of volume V.sub.P is
utilized the final volume of the gas V.sub.2 can be expressed as
the initial volume V.sub.1 less the piston displacement volume
V.sub.P.
V.sub.2=V.sub.1-V.sub.P (equation 5)
[0032] Combining equations 4 and 5 and solving for V.sub.1 yields:
1 V 1 = K V * P 2 * V P K V * P 2 - P 1 ( equation 6 )
[0033] Equating V.sub.1 from equation 6 to V.sub.G in equation 2
yields the equation for the volume of the object being measured: 2
V O = V C - K V * P 2 * V P K V * P 2 - P 1 ( equation 7 )
[0034] Where V.sub.C is the volume of the chamber before the piston
is engaged. One skilled in the art could modify equation 7 whereby
the value of V.sub.C is the volume of the chamber after the piston
is engaged.
[0035] Thus, to determine the volume of the object, the object is
enclosed in an airtight chamber and the initial pressure P.sub.1 is
measured. A known modification in the volume of gas is introduced
to the chamber, causing a change in gas pressure. The new pressure
P.sub.2 is measured. All values in equation 7 are known, so V.sub.O
can be precisely computed.
[0036] This method works best when the volume of the object is a
large percentage of the volume of the chamber. This ensures that
small volume changes will cause relatively large changes in gas
pressure.
[0037] The constant K.sub.V will depend on the type of gas used and
its temperature. In practice this invention uses atmospheric air
from within the processing facility in order to reduce the cost of
operation for the system. Preferably, at least one environmental
sensor is provided to measuring a quality of the atmospheric air
selected, such as humidity, barometric pressure, or any combination
and the output of the environmental sensor(s) is used to adjust the
calculations and/or modify the process. Alternatively, the entire
object measurement mechanism could be enclosed within a
climate-controlled housing that maintained a constant temperature
and utilized a known mixture of gas. These are precautions that
should be considered if the volumes of the objects to be measured
are expected to vary across a wide range instead of a more narrow
range.
[0038] The volumetric measurement system is precise as long as
pressure can be precisely determined and the volume of the piston
displacement is exactly known. In practice there will be some error
in the pressure sensor(s) and some degree of error in the volume
change caused by the piston displacement. To overcome these
realistic limitations, multiple pistons (or other mechanical or
electromechanical displacement mechanism) could be added to the
chamber and associated pressure measurements can be made. One
skilled in the art can expand the derivation of equation 7 to
account for multiple piston movements and associated pressure
measurements performed in either a sequential or additive
scheme.
[0039] Fat Content Determination for Boneless Objects
[0040] Precise fat content can be determined for cuts or carcasses
that contain fat and lean as well as those that contain fat, lean
and bone. The upcoming discussion will cover the fat/lean case,
with the bone case being left for later.
[0041] Assume we know the precise volume and mass of a cut of meat
that contains lean and fat. The mass of the object can be expressed
as:
M.sub.O=D.sub.F*V.sub.F+D.sub.L*V.sub.L (equation 8)
[0042] Where: D.sub.F=density of fat
[0043] D.sub.L=density of lean
[0044] V.sub.F=volume of fat
[0045] V.sub.L=volume of lean
[0046] The total volume of the meat can be expressed as the sum of
the volume of the fat and the volume of the lean:
V.sub.O=V.sub.F+V.sub.L (equation 9)
[0047] Combining equations 8 and 9 and solving for V.sub.F or
V.sub.L yields: 3 V F = M O - D L * V O ( D F - D L ) ( equation 10
) V L = M o - D F * V O ( D L - D F ) ( equation 11 ) % fat by
volume = V F V O ( equation 12 )
[0048] Since the density of fat and lean are well known within each
particular industry for their products, knowing the precise mass
and volume of a cut or carcass allows processors to accurately
determine fat content for boneless products.
[0049] Fat Content Determination for Boned Objects
[0050] Products that contain bones are more difficult, but the
problem of determining fat content can be reduced to the case of
fat/lean presented earlier. For specific cuts of meat, assumptions
can be made about the bone content. For example, a side of beef
will contain a discrete number of bones whose mass and volume will
correlate to the mass and volume of the side of beef. The volume of
bone content can be expressed as:
V.sub.B=K.sub.B*V.sub.O (equation 13)
[0051] Where: V.sub.B=volume of bone in an object,
[0052] V.sub.O=volume of object
[0053] K.sub.B=constant representing the % of bone in the
object
[0054] K.sub.B will vary according to the type of animal and
according to the cut of meat, poultry or fish. In practice, K.sub.B
will not be a constant for different sizes of the same cut or
carcass. Smaller animals will probably have K.sub.B values that are
higher than large animals. For example, two different chickens may
have identical volumes, but one chicken may have larger bones. In
this case it would be desirable to adjust K.sub.B to account for
the larger or smaller boned birds.
[0055] One technique is to measure the cross-section of a bone that
gives insight into the "largeness" of the bones. If, for example,
the diameter of the leg bone of a chicken is a key indicator of the
percentage of the chicken volume that contains bone, the bone
diameter in the production environment can be measured to determine
the K.sub.B value, or the percent of bone. The volume of the boned
object is expressed as:
V.sub.O=V.sub.F+V.sub.L+V.sub.B (equation 14)
[0056] Where: V.sub.O=volume of object being processed
[0057] V.sub.F=volume of fat in an object
[0058] V.sub.L=volume of lean in an object
[0059] V.sub.B=volume of bone in an object
[0060] The mass of the boned object can be expressed as:
M.sub.O=D.sub.F*V.sub.F+D.sub.L*V.sub.L+D.sub.B*V.sub.B (equation
15)
[0061] Where: M.sub.O=mass of object being processed
[0062] D.sub.F=density of fat in an object
[0063] D.sub.L=density of lean in an object
[0064] D.sub.B=density of bone in an object
[0065] Combining equations 13, 14 and 15 and solving for V.sub.F
yields: 4 V F = M O - D B * K B * V O + D L * V O * ( K B - 1 ) ( D
F - D L ) ( equation 16 )
[0066] The indicator of K.sub.B for an animal type and cut type can
be determined from an exposed section of bone or an encapsulated
bone. For exposed bones, non-contact visual techniques can be used
to make the precise measurement. For encapsulated bones, X-ray or
some other non-visible spectrum radiation and sensor can be used to
determine the bone size or thickness. For visible bones, image
capture technology using ambient or artificial light can be
utilized to produce an image for analysis of bone size. The K.sub.B
value for an animal type, cut type and characteristic bone
thickness can be determined by an algebraic formula, by values in a
lookup table, or any other means of extracting empirical data.
[0067] The techniques presented herein allow for the implementation
of precise volumetric determination in high-speed production
facilities. Implementations of the preferred embodiments can be
utilized with throughput as low as one piece per minute and can
achieve speeds as high as several thousand pieces per minute.
[0068] Preferred Embodiment for Volume Determination--Static
Case
[0069] FIG. 1 shows a chamber for the precise measurement of volume
for a cut of meat. The object to be measured (10) is a whole
chicken carcass, although the object could be any comestible food
product that has been through the skinning or de-feathering and
evisceration stages of a production facility. In one embodiment,
the carcass (10), which is suspended from a shackle (40) attached
to a conveyor system (30), is placed within an airtight chamber
(20) of known volume. The chamber (20) is formed in two sections:
the front portion (21), which provides most of the encapsulation of
the volume, and the lid (22), which encloses the back of the
chamber. Other items that form part of the airtight chamber (20)
are the face of the piston (50) and the collar (41) of the shackle
(40).
[0070] After closure of the airtight chamber (20), the pressure
within the chamber is measured with a pressure sensor (70), the
value of which is assigned to P.sub.1 in equation 7. Next, the
piston (50) is engaged via an actuator (60), thus causing the
volume within the chamber to decrease. The pressure is measured
again with the pressure sensor (70), the value of which is assigned
to P.sub.2 in equation 7. Using equation 7, a control system or
computer processor can determine the precise volume for the object
(10) within the chamber (20).
[0071] The volume of the chamber (20) in this embodiment will be
the volumetric space within the enclosed sections (21, 22) when the
piston (50) is in the non-actuated state. The chamber (20) volume
will also need to be adjusted for the volume of the shackle (40).
For best results the volume within the empty chamber should be
determined empirically to account for any variances that occur in
the manufacturing of the chamber sections (21,22), the installation
of the pressure sensor (70), and the actual position of the
non-actuated piston (50). This empirically determined empty chamber
volume is assigned to V.sub.C in equation 7.
[0072] A control system or module (90) in the form of a
programmable logic controller (PLC), microcontroller,
microprocessor, computer processor and associated software or
hardware control logic and associated firmware performs the
measurement of the chamber (20) pressures, calculates whole bird
(10) volumes using equation 7, and equates the computed volume to
the particular bird (10) number for downstream processing. The
pressure within the chamber (20) is transmitted from the pressure
sensor (70) to the control module (90) via an interface (75). This
interface (75) can be an analog signal medium, a digital electrical
medium, a standard electrical interface like Ethernet, Universal
Serial Bus (USB), IEEE 1394, an optical transport medium, a
wireless connection, or any other mechanism for transporting
information between two points.
[0073] The control module (90) can also control the actuation of
the two sections (21, 22) of the measurement chamber (20) and can
control the actuation of the piston (50) via the actuator interface
(65). For high-speed production, however, the actuation of the
chamber sections (21, 22), the actuation of the piston (50), and
the measurement of pressure with the sensor (70) will most likely
utilize mechanical methods to decrease the processing burden on the
control module (90).
[0074] Information regarding the bird (10) tracking number (42) is
transmitted to the control module (90) via an interface (80). The
information can be in the form of a barcode that is scanned, a
numerical indicator on the conveyor line (30), a mechanical counter
mechanism, a magnetic strip that is sensed, or a variety of other
methods. The interface (80) between the provider of the bird (10)
tracking number (42) and the control module (90) can be an analog
signal medium, a digital electrical medium, a standard electrical
interface like Ethernet, Universal Serial Bus (USB), IEEE 1394, an
optical transport medium, a wireless connection, or any other
mechanism for transporting information between two points.
[0075] Preferred Embodiment for Volume Determination--Dynamic
Case
[0076] FIG. 2 shows one embodiment of a full production system for
the rapid determination of fat content for whole carcasses. The
objects shown in FIG. 2 are whole chickens (10) that have been
through the de-feathering and evisceration processes. In this
embodiment, the birds (10) are each attached to a high-speed,
overhead conveyor (30) moving at a constant rate (130). Each bird
(10) is connected to the conveyor (30) by a shackle (40). However,
it is not essential to the practice of this invention to use an
overhead conveyor. Any type of conveyor system including, but not
limited to, conveyor belts, bins or buckets that can transport the
comestible products through the production assembly could also be
used. The only requirement is that the comestible product must at
some point be contained within an airtight volumetric determination
chamber.
[0077] In one embodiment, the birds (10) are first weighed as they
pass the scale (100), although other embodiments are possible where
the birds (10), or other comestible products, are weighed at a
different point in the assembly. Weight information is transmitted
to the control module (90) via the scale interface (105).
[0078] In one embodiment, after the bird (10) is weighed, an image
is taken by an X-ray emitter and collector assembly (110). Other
embodiments of the invention could have the X-ray image taken at
another point in the assembly or some other form of non-visible
radiation emissions could be utilized. The image is transmitted to
the control module (90) via the image interface (115). The X-ray
image is used to measure an internal image within the bird (10),
such as the cross section of one or more encapsulated bones on the
bird (10), in order to determine the percentage of the carcass (10)
that is bone material. Other embodiments of the present invention
may employ visible spectrum, infrared or multi-spectral imaging or
other automated, semi-automated or manual process for determining
bone length or thickness.
[0079] Weighed and imaged birds (10) are next processed by the
volumetric determination station (120). This assembly consists of a
plurality of receiving chambers (20) that individually encompass
each of the moving birds (10) in an airtight compartment (20),
measure the initial chamber pressure, decrease the volume by
actuating a piston (50), and measuring the resultant pressure.
There are five distinct steps executed by the volumetric assembly
(120) in the determination of fat content. The stages are driven by
mechanical actuators and cams contained within the rotational
assembly (120) that rotates at a constant rate (125).
[0080] Step one (150) consists of the encapsulation of the bird
(10) in an airtight compartment (20) formed by a case (21) and a
lid (22), where the lid (22) is a cavity carved into the body of
the assembly (120). As the bird (10) rotates past stage one (150),
a mechanical cam pushes up the case (21), thereby creating an
airtight space (20). Each chamber has a pressure sensor (70)
rigidly mounted to the wall of the chamber with externally exposed
contacts. In other embodiments of the invention, the sensor (70)
can be attached to the lid (22) or the piston (50). The pressure
sensor (70) can be comprised of one or more of any number of types
of pressure sensors, such as absolute pressure sensors, gauge-type
pressure sensors, differential pressure sensors or sealed pressure
sensors utilizing such different pressure sensing technologies such
as piston measurement, mechanical deflection, strain gauge,
semiconductor piezoresistive, piezoelectric, microelectromechanical
systems (MEMS), vibrating elements, ultrasonic, solid state or
variable capacitance.
[0081] Step two (160) consists of the measurement of the initial
pressure within the chamber (20). The chamber (20) moves past the
pressure measurement assembly (140) and comes in contact with a
receiver (145), which allows the chamber pressure data to be
transmitted from the pressure measurement assembly (140) to the
control module (90) via the pressure interface (141).
[0082] In one embodiment, step three (170) utilizes a moving piston
(50) to decrease the volume and increase the pressure within the
chamber (20). In other embodiments of the invention, the volume
could be decreased by a bellow or some other high-speed mechanical
or electromechanical device. A mechanical cam is used to actuate
the piston (50), which will remain activated until the final
pressure measurement is taken. Alternatively, the volume of the
chamber (20) could be increased by a moving piston (50) or the
like, with appropriate changes made in the calculation of the end
result.
[0083] Step four (180) consists of the measurement of the final
pressure within the chamber. The chamber (20) moves past the
pressure measurement assembly (140) and comes in contact with a
receiver (146), which allows the chamber pressure data to be
transmitted from the pressure measurement assembly (140) to the
control module (90) via the pressure interface (141).
[0084] Step five (190) is where the two actuation cams are
released, thus allowing the piston (50) and the case (21) to return
to their original positions.
[0085] Upon completion of the processing within the five stages of
the rotational assembly (120), the control module (90) has all of
the raw information needed to compute the fat content of the bird
(10). This raw information consists of a weight, one or more images
of internal bone structures, an initial pressure measurement, and a
final pressure measurement. These pieces of raw information all
need to be associated with the same bird (10).
[0086] Several methods exist for maintaining relational timing
within a processing facility that gathers product information from
different points in time and space. The system described herein
works most effectively when the assembly line (30) rate (130) is
somewhat constant. A near constant rate allows fewer and lower-cost
sensors to be utilized in the synchronization of bird (10) tracking
numbers (42) between the various data gathering stations (100, 110,
160, 180, 200). Assembly lines (30) with higher variability in
their production rates (130) will require more sophisticated
sensors to ensure that the control module (90) can associate the
incoming data elements with the appropriate bird (10).
[0087] FIG. 2 shows an optional shackle counter (200) that can be
used to track the passing of shackles (30). This mechanism utilizes
one or more optical sensors to note the movement of shackles (30)
past the sensor (200). Multiple sensors (200) may be needed so a
non-moving assembly line (30) with a swinging shackle (40) in front
of the sensor does not fool the control module (90) into thinking
that the assembly line (30) is actually in motion. The sensors
(200) can be photo cells, one or more CCD or CMOS cameras,
mechanical switches or laser-based switches.
[0088] The spacing between shackles (30) is known and will remain a
constant for all birds (10). With the known spacing between birds
and the periodic shackle counter (200) information being
transmitted over the shackle sensor interface (205), the control
module can keep track of the assembly line (30) rate (130) at any
point in time.
[0089] In practice, there will likely be differences in the volumes
of the chambers (20) on the processing assembly (120). The volumes
of all of the enclosed chambers (20) will need to be determined
empirically. Once the volumes are known, it may become necessary to
associate pressure measurements with chamber (20) numbers. This
problem is easily solved by having an electrical, mechanical, or
some other indicator at or near each pressure sensor (70) contact
that indicates the chamber (20) number. The chamber (20) number
allows the control module to take the actual chamber (20) volume
into account when computing the fat content for the bird (10).
[0090] The scale (100) weighs the birds (10) as they pass, but
equation 16 utilizes the mass of an object. The weight of an object
will relate to its mass according to:
W.sub.O=g*M.sub.O (equation 17)
[0091] Where: W.sub.O=weight of an object
[0092] M.sub.O=mass of an object
[0093] g=gravitational constant
[0094] The gravitational constant within the processing facility
will be stored in the control module (90) so weight information
from the scale (100) can be converted to the mass of the bird
(10).
[0095] Once the fat content calculation is made for each bird (10),
the information can be forwarded to a downstream process to make
routing or processing decisions based on the bird's (10) fat
content. The control module (90) preferably has a mechanism to
communicate the bird (10) tracking number (42) and its associated
fat content to this downstream process (210). Several methods exist
for communicating this tracking information. One commonly used
technique is to have periodic "reference shackles" that carry some
characteristic marking (220). These reference shackles can be used
to communicate with the downstream process by relating bird (10)
tracking numbers (42) relative to a reference shackle (220).
[0096] The embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 utilize a piston (50)
that is actuated to cause a volume decrease within the chamber
(20). Several other methods can be utilized to decrease volume
within the chamber (20) including, but not limited to, bellows,
slides, and moving chamber walls. Additionally, the pressure may be
changed within the chamber (20) by forcing a known volume of gas
into the chamber (20). The volume of gas forced into the chamber
(20) would be associated with V.sub.P in equation 16.
[0097] The embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 utilize increasing
pressure to compute volume. The system can also utilize decreasing
pressure to achieve similar results. Either by removing a known
quantity of gas or by increasing the size of the chamber (20), the
resulting pressure will be lower than the initial pressure, but the
process will still produce accurate volumetric determination.
[0098] Determination of the Constant K.sub.B
[0099] The constant for the percentage of bone in an object
(K.sub.B) will depend on the type of animal, the cut of meat, the
relative size of the cut, and the size of the bones. Each assembly
line will be implemented to process a particular cut of meat. The
determination of K.sub.B for a cut of meat will begin with the
detailed analysis of several representative "samples" for that
particular cut. For example, an assembly line has been implemented
to determine fat content for sides of beef. Several sides of beef
are weighed and subjected to destructive testing to determine their
percent of bone content. The statistical results will be used to
arrive at values for K.sub.B that relate to the carcass weight.
[0100] Two sides of beef with similar weights may contain different
bone content due to the "largeness" of the bones. During
destructive testing, several bone parameters are measured to
determine which bones provide the best indicators for bone content.
Statistical analysis will determine the proper bone(s) to be
utilized within the factory to indicate values for K.sub.B.
[0101] In practice the K.sub.B values utilized in fat content
determination will be retrieved from a multi-variable lookup table
contained within the control module. The variables used for K.sub.B
lookup can include, but are not limited to, weight of cut, volume
of cut, size of one or more bone cross sections, or the length of
one or more bones.
[0102] In processing facilities such as those used in poultry
production, it is common for whole birds to have missing parts. For
example, a turkey with a missing wing will have a different K.sub.B
value than a turkey with no missing parts. The system described
herein can make determinations about the missing parts and adjust
K.sub.B accordingly. The system will need to have empirical
knowledge about the various missing parts and how their absence
impacts K.sub.B. The destructive testing described earlier should
account for various missing parts and add the appropriate variables
to the multi-variable lookup table for K.sub.B.
[0103] In extreme circumstances a section of a measured object will
be missing that does not correspond to a variable in the K.sub.B
lookup table. For example, a chicken may be processed that contains
only two legs and a portion of the torso. Since the percentage of
the torso remaining does not provide a good indicator of the bone
percentage for this partial bird, the system cannot accurately
compute the percentage of bone content. In these circumstances the
system must be capable of informing the downstream equipment that
the fat content determination is not accurate and the partial bird
must receive some special handling.
[0104] Several of the K.sub.B variables, like bone cross section,
bone length and missing part determination require input from
two-dimensional sensors. For characteristics that are visible at or
above the surface of the cut of meat, visible spectrum digital
cameras can be used for image acquisition. For characteristics that
lie below the surface of the cut, techniques like X-ray, ultrasonic
radiation, or some other form of surface penetrating radiation and
detection will be required for image analysis. The determination of
missing pieces on a cut and the measurement of bone length or
thickness can be performed with imagery from different input
sources.
[0105] Although it is not practical in high-speed production
environments, bone size information, missing parts information or
other information necessary to compute K.sub.B could be identified
by humans inspecting the cuts of meat as they pass by an inspection
station. In this embodiment, manually generated information would
be entered into a computer terminal, for example, to associate the
particular information to a cut number so the processing system
could make the association of the manually supplied information
with the proper cut of meat.
[0106] Determination of the Constant K.sub.V
[0107] The constant K.sub.V is utilized to adjust for temperature
changes and gas absorption not accounted for in equation 3. Since
all cuts of meat will be roughly equivalent in size and will be at
the same stage within the production facility, each cut of meat on
the line will experience an equivalent temperature increase and gas
absorption rate. As a result, the constant K.sub.V will truly be a
constant value for a production line with a defined cut of
meat.
[0108] Since cuts of meat come in different sizes and absorb gases
differently, each assembly line that processes different animals or
different cuts from an animal will have different K.sub.V values.
In addition, the size and design of the chamber will impact the
K.sub.V value for a given production line.
[0109] The value for K.sub.V will likely remain constant throughout
a processing shift. Changes from day-to-day, however, can impact
K.sub.V. For example, humid air will compress differently than dry
air. To account for this, it may be necessary to calibrate the
K.sub.V value prior to starting a production run. This calibration
process could involve placing objects of known volume on the
shackles and running them through the volumetric measurement
process. The value of K.sub.V could be adjusted so the measured
pressure values produce the volumetric result that equals the know
volume of the objects.
[0110] A more realistic approach for adjusting K.sub.V values for
variables like humidity or ambient air temperature would be to
provide sensor inputs to the control module that measure the
variables that impact K.sub.V. The control module could then
determine the K.sub.V value by accessing a lookup table that
contained pre-determined values for K.sub.V with respect to the
known variables.
[0111] Other Applications
[0112] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention
has been described with respect to meat products, it will be
recognized that content analysis of a variety of other kinds of
comestible foodstuff products can also be evaluated and determined
using the methods and apparatus of the present invention. For
example, a watermelon buyer may wish to know the percentage of rind
for a batch of watermelons. While it is possible for a buyer to
destructively test a few of the melons to determine an estimate of
rind content for a given batch of melons, the present invention
allows all of the melons to be measured volumetrically and weighed
so the precise rind content for each melon would be known. The
melon buyer could use this information to determine the price to
pay the grower and could assign grades to each melon in order to
maximize the profit margin of the product sold to consumers.
[0113] As another example, assume that a bread manufacturer
purchases wheat directly from growers, but utilizes only wheat
hearts in the production of bread. The manufacturer could pay the
grower based on the percentage of wheat hearts or the actual weight
of wheat hearts contained within a shipment of wheat. In this
example the bread manufacturer would use the known densities of
wheat hearts and wheat chaff to determine heart content.
[0114] Yet another example would be to determine the volume of
flavored chips in processed cookies. By measuring the weight and
volume of finished cookies and knowing the densities of the cookie
and chips, the percent of chips by volume or weight can be
determined for the finished product. The cookie manufacturer could
use this information to sort cookies into their percent chip
categories or could be used as a quality control check for the
mixing and baking process.
[0115] The above description has been of preferred embodiments of
the present invention and one skilled in the art will realize that
numerous modifications may be made without departing from the
spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *