Egg Candling Sensor Glare Reduction via Segmented Illumination

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional egg candling systems face challenges in reliably distinguishing between fertilized and unfertilized eggs due to glare phenomena caused by varying light intensities, leading to false information and inefficient sorting processes, especially when empty cells or rotten eggs are present, resulting in waste and financial losses.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a method of visiometric examination that uses multiple successive stages of illumination with different doses to avoid sensor dazzling, where the first stage detects empty cells and records their coordinates, and the second stage discriminates between fertilized and unfertilized eggs by adjusting exposure time and illumination intensity, allowing for precise differentiation without illuminating empty cells.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If a single high-intensity illumination is used to detect egg states, then the detection speed is improved, but sensor dazzling occurs leading to false information

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection speedVSAvoiddetection reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The illumination process is divided into multiple sequential stages with different intensity levels. The first stage uses high-intensity illumination to quickly identify empty cells, while subsequent stages use progressively lower intensities to detect fertilized and unfertilized eggs, preventing sensor overwhelming and ensuring reliable detection at each stage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Empty cells are detected and recorded in advance during the first illumination stage before the subsequent egg state detection stages. This preliminary identification allows the system to exclude empty cell locations from later high-precision detection, improving overall system reliability and efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If multiple illumination stages are used to avoid sensor dazzling, then detection reliability is improved, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection reliabilityVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The detection process is segmented into targeted stages focusing on specific egg states at each intensity level. By dividing the illumination into purposeful stages rather than using a single prolonged exposure, the system achieves reliable multi-state detection without excessive time loss.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Empty cells are identified and recorded in the first stage, allowing subsequent stages to focus only on occupied cells. This preliminary filtering reduces the total detection time while maintaining reliability across all egg states.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If empty cells are illuminated in all stages, then complete detection is achieved, but sensor dazzling causes false information for neighboring cells

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection accuracyVSAvoidglare-induced errors
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Empty cell locations are extracted and identified during the first illumination stage. These identified empty cell coordinates are then used to exclude specific locations from subsequent illumination stages, removing the source of harmful glare while maintaining detection accuracy for all other cells.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Different illumination strategies are applied to different spatial locations based on their detected state. Empty cells are illuminated only in the first stage, while occupied cells receive progressive illumination in subsequent stages. This localized quality control prevents glare-induced errors while maintaining complete detection coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach enhances the reliability of egg state detection, reduces waste, and improves processing efficiency by avoiding glare-induced errors, enabling accurate sorting and marking of eggs while maintaining high-speed processing.

Implementation Method 1

a radiation source emits an incident luminous flux which individually illuminates each of the eggs... the detector means sensitive to the emergent flux... determine its composition according to the modification induced by each of them

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight transmission and attenuation: Absorption (EM radiation)

Implementation Method 2

These photo-detectors convert the captured light into electrical signals

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhotoelectric effect: Photoelectric Effect

Data Source

PatentEP1971859B1Method and system for candling eggs
Publication Date: 2018.02.14 VISIONERF
  • EP1971859B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1971859B1 patent drawingFigure 2~5
  • EP1971859B1 patent drawing

AI summary

The invention concerns a system applicable to an installation for candling eggs (1), to determine the presence of fertilized eggs in the cells of the egg crate grid (4a) moving on a conveyor (2). Row by row, the analyzing device synchronously monitors the light emission on the eggs of the row and detection of the attenuated light of emerging beams. The monitoring comprises at least two close cycles of light emission. During the first cycle, which is of short duration to avoid blooming of the detectors of the detecting device (3), the coordinates of possible empty cells in a row are determined and stored. During the second cycle, which is of longer duration, the coordinates of fertilized eggs of said row are determined and stored. The egg candling installation (1) advantageously comprises means for marking the eggs (5), depending in particular on whether they are fertilized or not.