Method for determining the cremation status of a human or animal body, system for monitoring the cremation status of a human or animal body and cremation plant comprising such a monitoring system
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- BACCINI MARCO
- Filing Date
- 2024-07-02
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-20
AI Technical Summary
Current methods for determining the cremation status of a human or animal body during cremation are imprecise due to human error and unable to accurately estimate future status, leading to inefficient process termination.
A computer-implemented method that acquires digital images of the cremation process, extrapolates flame values, performs regression analysis to infer cremation status, and uses threshold values to determine the optimal termination time, along with subsequent image analysis to confirm bone mass reduction.
This method provides precise and accurate determination of cremation status, enabling efficient process termination and future status estimation, reducing human error and improving cremation process efficiency.
Smart Images
Figure IB2024056460_16012025_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE CREMATION STATUS OF A HUMAN OR ANIMAL BODY, SYSTEM FOR MONITORING THE CREMATION STATUS OF A HUMAN OR ANIMAL BODY AND CREMATION PLANT COMPRISING SUCH A MONITORING SYSTEM.
[0002] DESCRIPTION
[0003] The invention relates to a computer-implemented method for determining the cremation status of a human or animal body during a cremation process implemented by means of a cremation plant.
[0004] A system for monitoring the cremation status of a human or animal body is also part of the invention.
[0005] The invention also relates to a cremation plant comprising such a monitoring system.
[0006] Methods are known nowadays for determining the cremation status of a human or animal body during a cremation process.
[0007] Such a known method involves the observation of the cremation process by an operator in order to determine the cremation status of said body over time and to establish an instant of termination of such a cremation process.
[0008] However, such a method, although known and appreciated, has some important limitations.
[0009] In particular, the determination of the cremation status according to this known- type method is not very precise, being subject to human error by the operator.
[0010] It is therefore difficult to determine an instant of termination that minimises the duration of the cremation process, consistent with the required cremation status at the end of this cremation process.
[0011] Equally disadvantageously, this known-type method does not allow to estimate the future cremation status, but only to approximate the cremation status while the cremation process is being observed by the operator.
[0012] The task of the present invention is to develop a method capable of obviating the aforementioned drawbacks and limitations of the prior art.
[0013] In particular, the object of the present invention is to implement a method capable of determining the cremation status of a human or animal body during a cremation process more precisely than similar methods of the known type.
[0014] Moreover, the object of the present invention is to develop a method capable of estimating the future cremation status of a human or animal body during a cremation process. The above-mentioned task and objects are achieved by a method according to claim 1 .
[0015] Further features of the method according to claim 1 are described in the dependent claims.
[0016] The task and the aforesaid objects, together with the advantages that will be mentioned hereinafter, are highlighted by the description of an embodiment of the invention, which is given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the attached drawings, where:
[0017] - Figure 1 represents a flow chart of the method that is the object of the present invention;
[0018] - Figure 2 represents an image acquired according to the method that is the object of the present invention;
[0019] - Figure 3 represents a processing of the image of Figure 2;
[0020] - Figure 4 represents a graph related to the method that is the object of the present invention;
[0021] - Figure 5 schematically represents a monitoring system according to the invention.
[0022] With reference to the mentioned figures, a method according to the invention is indicated as a whole by number 10.
[0023] This method 10 is implemented by means of a computer and is adapted to determine the cremation status of a human body O during a cremation process implemented by means of a cremation plant.
[0024] However, it is not excluded that this method 10 is used for determining the cremation status of an animal body O.
[0025] The method 10 comprises the following sequential steps: a) acquiring a plurality of digital images lnall related to a same view of the aforesaid body O at different instants of the cremation process during an acquisition window Ata, wherein said acquisition window Atais clearly indicated in abscissa in the graph of Figure 4; an image of said plurality of images lnis shown in Figures 2 and 3, wherein said image is related to the pelvic region of said body O; moreover, the plurality of images lnare acquired at regular intervals of the acquisition window Ata; however, it cannot be excluded that the plurality of images lnare related to a different region of said body O, as well as acquired at non-regular intervals of the acquisition window Ata; b) extrapolating from the plurality of images lna plurality of flame values Fn, represented in ordinate in the graph of Figure 4, related to the evolution over time of the area affected by a flame during the acquisition window Ata; in the present embodiment of the invention, from each image of said plurality of images lna single value of said plurality of flame values Fnis extrapolated by means of a flame detection algorithm; however, it is not excluded that at least one value of this plurality of flame values Fnis extrapolated from a comparison of at least one consecutive pair of images of the aforesaid plurality of images lnby means of an object tracking algorithm and / or with the application of a specific filtering algorithm; c) performing a regression R over time of the plurality of flame values Fn, as observed in the graph in Figure 4, so as to infer a status function s representing an approximation of the aforesaid cremation status during the acquisition window Ataand also representing an estimate of the cremation status in the instants following the acquisition window Ata; in the present embodiment of the invention, the regression R is linear and thus the status function s is a straight line.
[0026] It is emphasised that, in the context of cremation facilities, the extent of the flame affecting a body during a cremation process is an indicator of the cremation status of that body.
[0027] Therefore, such a method 10 is advantageously able to determine the cremation status of a human or animal body during a cremation process more accurately than similar methods of a known type that only exploit the observation of the process by an operator and are thus subject to human error by that operator.
[0028] Moreover, this method 10 allows, equally advantageously, to estimate the future cremation status of a human or animal body during a cremation process through the regression R over time of the plurality of flame values Fn.
[0029] In the present embodiment of the invention, the method 10 comprises the following step after step c): d) determining an instant of termination teof said cremation process, clearly indicated in Figure 4, corresponding to an instant wherein the status function s takes on a value lower than or equal to a preset first threshold value Fth; more precisely, in the embodiment described herein, this instant of termination tecorresponds to the instant wherein the status function s takes on for the first time a value lower than or equal to the aforementioned first threshold value Fth.
[0030] It should be emphasised that the just described step d) advantageously allows to establish an instant of termination that minimises the time of the cremation process, consistent with the required cremation status at the end of this cremation process.
[0031] After step d), the present method 10 still comprises the following sequential steps: e) acquiring at least one further digital image lmsubsequent to this instant of termination te; f) extrapolating from this at least one further image lma bone mass value B related to the area affected by a bone mass; more specifically, in the present embodiment of the invention, the bone mass value B is related to the pelvis bone mass, but it is not excluded that a different bone structure may be considered for the purpose of determining said bone mass value B; g) checking whether this bone mass value B is lower than or equal to a second threshold value Bth:
[0032] - if so, confirming the termination of the cremation process;
[0033] - if not, repeating steps e), f) and g) in sequence.
[0034] It is emphasised that, in the context of cremation facilities, the amount of residual bone mass present in a body during a cremation process is a further indicator of the cremation status of that body.
[0035] Therefore, steps e), f) and g) advantageously allow to obtain a confirmation regarding the termination of the cremation process when the aforementioned bone mass value B is lower than or equal to this second threshold value Bth.
[0036] In addition, the method 10 according to the present embodiment interrupts the cremation process after the aforesaid instant of termination te, as well as when this termination check has been successful.
[0037] As previously mentioned, a system 100 for monitoring the cremation status of a human or animal body O is still part of the invention.
[0038] This monitoring system 100 comprises a computer E, shown schematically in Figure 5, configured to perform the method 10 described above.
[0039] Furthermore, such a monitoring system 100 comprises acquisition means C configured to acquire the plurality of images lnand the aforesaid at least one further image lm.
[0040] In the present embodiment of the invention, these acquisition means C comprise a camera shown schematically in Figure 5.
[0041] It is also not excluded that such acquisition means C comprise one or more optical filters employed in order to improve the acquisition of the aforementioned plurality of images ln, as well as of the aforesaid at least one further image lm, consistent with the specific requirements of the present monitoring system 100.
[0042] Furthermore, in order to improve the alignment of the aforesaid acquisition means C with respect to the body O, the use of a light source that emits, on the field framed by the acquisition means C, at least one light beam, is not excluded.
[0043] A cremation plant P, clearly visible as a whole in Figure 5, comprising the monitoring system 100 just described is also part of the invention.
[0044] Practically, it has been established that the invention achieves the intended task and objects.
[0045] In particular, with the invention a method has been implemented that is able to determine the cremation status of a human or animal body during a cremation process more precisely than similar methods of the known type.
[0046] In addition, a method has been developed that is able to estimate the future cremation status of a human or animal body during a cremation process.
[0047] The invention thus conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept; moreover, all the details may be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.
[0048] In practice, the components and materials used, as long as they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the dimensions and the contingent shapes, may be any according to requirements and the prior art.
[0049] If the characteristics and techniques mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, these reference signs are to be intended for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and, consequently, such reference signs have no limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by these reference signs.
Claims
CLAIMS1 ) Computer-implemented method (10) for determining the cremation status of a human or animal body (0) during a cremation process carried out by means of a cremation plant, characterised in that it comprises the following sequential steps: a) acquiring a plurality of digital images (ln) all related to a same view of said body (0) at different instants of said cremation process during an acquisition window (Ata); b) extrapolating from said plurality of images (ln) a plurality of flame values (Fn) related to the evolution over time of the area affected by a flame during said acquisition window (Ata), from each image of said plurality of images lna single value of said plurality of flame values Fnbeing extrapolated by a flame detection algorithm, or at least one value of said plurality of flame values Fnbeing extrapolated from a comparison of at least one consecutive pair of images of said plurality of images lnby means of an object tracking algorithm, or by applying a specific filtering algorithm; c) carrying out a regression (R) over time of said plurality of flame values (Fn) so as to infer a status function (s) representing an approximation of said cremation status during said acquisition window (Ata) and representing an estimate of said cremation status in the instants following said acquisition window (Ata).2) Method (10) according to claim 1 , characterised in that said regression (R) is linear.3) Method (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that it comprises the following step after step c): d) determining an instant of termination (te) of said cremation process corresponding to an instant at which said status function (s) takes on a value lower than or equal to a preset first threshold value (Fth).4) Method (10) according to claim 3, characterised in that said instant of termination (te) corresponds to the instant wherein said status function (s) first takes on a value lower than or equal to said first threshold value (Fth).5) Method (10) according to claim 3 or 4, characterised in that it interrupts said cremation process after said instant of termination (te).6) Method (10) according to claim 3 or 4, characterised in that itcomprises the following sequential steps after step d): e) acquiring at least one further digital image (lm) subsequent to said instant of termination (te); f) extrapolating from said at least one further image (lm) a bone mass value (B) related to the area affected by a bone mass; g) checking whether said bone mass value (B) is lower than or equal to a second threshold value (Bth):- if so, confirming the termination of said cremation process;- if not, repeating steps e), f) and g) in sequence.7) Method (10) according to claim 6, characterised in that it interrupts said cremation process when said termination check has been successful.8) Method (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one value of said plurality of flame values (Fn) is extrapolated from a comparison of at least one consecutive pair of images of said plurality of images (ln) by means of an object tracking algorithm.9) System for monitoring (100) the cremation status of a human or animal body (0), characterised in that it comprises a computer (E) configured to perform said method (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, said monitoring system (100) comprising acquisition means (C) configured to acquire at least said plurality of images (ln).10) Cremation plant (P), characterised in that it comprises said monitoring system (100) according to claim 9.