X-ray Image Processing for Missing Product Detection in Bags
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current x-ray image processing algorithms are unable to effectively detect missing small products or packages that are disorganized and in random positions within a bag package, limiting their ability to accurately determine the number of items and sort out defective products.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a vibrating band to separate products, an x-ray scanner to generate two-dimensional images, an image processing unit to filter and calculate grayness values, and a compressed air valve for sorting defective items, which estimates the number of products by dividing the total grayness value by the average grayness value per product, enabling accurate detection and sorting of missing items.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional x-ray image processing algorithms are used, then the system can process images quickly, but it cannot detect missing small products or packages in disorganized and random positions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the image processing task into multiple distinct steps: background subtraction to isolate products, contour detection to identify product boundaries, area calculation to determine product count, and validation against expected quantities. This segmentation transforms an otherwise intractable complex detection problem into manageable sequential operations that can achieve high precision without requiring overly complex algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from analyzing two-dimensional X-ray images directly to calculating areas in the image plane, which correlates with the three-dimensional volume occupied by products in the bag. By working with the area dimension derived from the 2D projection rather than attempting direct 3D reconstruction, the system achieves accurate product counting through a dimension that is both measurable and computationally tractable.
2Measurement precision
If weighing methods are used to detect missing products, then the system can identify weight fluctuations, but it cannot determine the exact number of products or detect missing pieces in disorganized packages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical weighing system with an optical/X-ray imaging system that directly visualizes and counts products. Instead of inferring product presence from weight measurements, the system uses image processing to directly detect and count individual products or packages, providing both quantity and spatial information that weighing alone cannot provide.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces image processing algorithms as an intermediary between the X-ray imaging and product counting. The algorithms process the raw X-ray images to extract meaningful information about product presence, quantity, and position, serving as a mediator that transforms physical X-ray data into actionable quality control information.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system processes disorganized and random positioned products, then it can handle real-world packaging variations, but conventional algorithms fail to detect missing pieces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary background subtraction to remove the bag and packaging structure from the image before attempting to detect products. This preliminary action clears the visual field and establishes a reference, allowing subsequent detection algorithms to focus solely on identifying product shapes and positions regardless of how disorganized they are within the bag.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the detection parameter from looking for specific product orientations or arrangements to measuring the total area occupied by products in the image. This parameter change makes the detection method invariant to product orientation and arrangement, allowing accurate detection of missing pieces even when products are disorganized and randomly positioned.
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
The system accurately determines the number of small products in a bag package by analyzing grayness values and sorts out defective items, providing a more precise method for detecting missing quantities and improving product quality control.
Implementation Method 1
scanning the products in the bag package (101) by the x-ray scanner (106), obtaining a two-dimensional image by creating numerical data according to the energy level of the rays passing through the x-ray scanner (106)
Implementation Method 2
passing the disorganized, free, and tangled products in the bag package (101) through the vibrating band (102)
Implementation Method 3
sorting the defective ones from the bag packages (101) moving on the output conveyor (108) by the compressed air valve (111)
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a system for determining the number of small products in the bag package from the x-ray image that enables detecting the missing quantities of small products or packages in a disorganized and random position in the bag package.