Method and apparatus for sorting a flow of objects as a function of optical properties of the objects

Claim 1

A method for sorting objects as a function of optical properties of the objects, comprising: conveying the objects over an object plane, all the objects passing a strip of the object plane; detecting light rays originating from the strip by one or more image pick-up units which each have a row of image pick-up elements in an image plane of the image pick-up unit; and for each image pick-up unit: repeated scanning of the row of image pick-up elements to form a primary line signal which contains image information which is a function of the optical properties of the objects and which comprises, for each scan, a primary group of primary intervals corresponding to the image pick-up elements; comparing the line signal with at least one reference signal; and energizing, as a function of the result of comparison, an ejection device, corresponding to the comparison time instant, of a number of ejection devices for the objects arranged downstream of the strip and corresponding to sections of the strip; and comprising consecutively assigning, in accordance with a predetermined scheme, the image information, obtained during a scan, of each group of primary intervals to a corresponding secondary group of equal secondary intervals of a secondary line signal in a manner such that the distribution of the information assigned to a secondary group corresponds linearly to the distribution of the optical properties in the strip, each secondary interval corresponding to an associated sub-section of the strip, each having an equal length.

Claim 2

A method for sorting objects as a function of optical properties of the objects, comprising: conveying the objects over an object plane, all the objects passing a strip of the object plane; detecting light rays originating from the strip by one or more image pick-up units which each have a row of image pick-up elements in an image plane of the image pick-up unit; and for each image pick-up unit: repeated scanning of the row of image pick-up elements to form a primary line signal which contains image information which is a function of the optical properties of the objects and which comprises, for each scan, a primary group of primary intervals corresponding to the image pick-up elements; comparing the line signal with at least one reference signal; and energizing, as a function of the result of comparison, an ejection device, corresponding to the comparison time instant, of a number of ejection devices for the objects arranged downstream of the strip and corresponding to sections of the strip; and comprising consecutively assigning, in accordance with a predetermined scheme, the image information, obtained during a scan, of each group of primary intervals to a corresponding secondary group of equal secondary intervals of a secondary line signal in a manner such that the distribution of the information assigned to a secondary group corresponds linearly to the distribution of the optical properties in the strip, each secondary interval corresponding to an associated sub-section of the strip, each having an equal length.

Claim 10

An apparatus for sorting a flow of objects as a function of optical properties of the objects, comprising: conveyance means for conveying the objects over an object plane, all the objects passing a strip of the object plane; light pick-up means which comprise one or more image pick-up units each having a row of image pick-up elements in an image plane of the image pick-up unit, each image pick-up unit scanning the optical properties of the strip along a line and delivering a corresponding primary line signal which comprises, for each scan, a primary group of primary intervals corresponding to the image pick-up elements; ejection means for the objects arranged downstream of the strip; and for each image pick-up unit: comparison means for comparing the image signal with at least one reference signal; and in which the ejection means are linked to control means which energize an ejection device corresponding to the comparison time instant as a function of the comparison result, and comprising a first memory in which a scheme for assigning, during each scan, secondary intervals of a secondary group of a secondary line signal to the primary intervals is stored, the number of secondary intervals of a secondary group being greater than the number of primary intervals of a primary group; first addressing means which receive a primary clock signal with a clock pulse for each primary interval and which address the first memory; a clock pulse increasing circuit which receives an output signal from the first memory and which delivers an assignment clock signal with a pulse for each primary interval plus a number of additional pulses which is a function of the output signal of the first memory; a second memory which is written into during a first period and during this process receives the primary line signal and which is read out during a second period and during this process delivers the secondary line signal; and second addressing means which, during the first period, address the second memory as a function of the assignment clock signal and which, during the second period, address the second memory as a function of a secondary clock signal.

Claim 11

An apparatus for sorting a flow of objects as a function of optical properties of the objects, comprising: conveyance means for conveying the objects over an object plane, all the objects passing a strip of the object plane; light pick-up means which comprise one or more image pick-up units each having a row of image pick-up elements in an image plane of the image pick-up unit, each image pick-up unit scanning the optical properties of the strip along a line and delivering a corresponding primary line signal which comprises, for each scan, a primary group of primary intervals corresponding to the image pick-up elements; ejection means for the objects arranged downstream of the strip; and for each image pick-up unit: comparison means for comparing the image signal with at least one reference signal; and in which the ejection means are linked to control means which energize an ejection device corresponding to the comparison time instant as a function of the comparison result, and comprising a first memory in which a scheme for assigning, during each scan, secondary intervals of a secondary group of a secondary line signal to the primary intervals is stored, the number of secondary intervals of a secondary group being greater than the number of primary intervals of a primary group; first addressing means which receive a primary clock signal with a clock pulse for each primary interval and which address the first memory; a clock pulse increasing circuit which receives an output signal from the first memory and which delivers an assignment clock signal with a pulse for each primary interval plus a number of additional pulses which is a function of the output signal of the first memory; a second memory which is written into during a first period and during this process receives the primary line signal and which is read out during a second period and during this process delivers the secondary line signal; and second addressing means which, during the first period, address the second memory as a function of the assignment clock signal and which, during the second period, address the second memory as a function of a secondary clock signal.