Process and apparatus for controlling a sorting machine

Claim 1

Apparatus for sorting a product based on reflected light, comprising: photoelectric means for receiving light reflected from said product and providing an output signal having value corresponding to a light level of said reflected light, wherein said photoelectric means includes a plurality of channels for parallel processing said product, each channel including a phtodetector for receiving light reflected from a corresponding product and for providing an output signal having a value corresponding to a light level of said reflected light; a comparator for receiving said output signal from said photoelectric means and comparing it with a predetermined range of values, and for providing an eject signal when the value of said output signal is outside said predetermined range of values, wherein said comparator compares each one of the plurality of output signals from the plurality of photodetectors with a corresponding predetermined range of values from a plurality of predetermined range values; a microprocessor, downstream from said comparator, for receiving said eject signal and providing an eject command corresponding thereto, wherein said microprocessor provides an eject command to eject means which eject the product whose corresponding output signal value is outside the corresponding predetermined range of values; multiplexer means for receiving said plurality of output signals and providing a multiplexed signal corresponding thereto; a sample and hold circuit coupled to said multiplexer means; an analog-to-digital converter coupled to said sample and hold circuit; a latch buffer coupled to said analog-to-digital converter, and providing an output said comparator; and a serial-to-parallel converter coupled to said multiplexer means and to said comparator.