Tomra Systems Asa

Tomra Systems A/s

A/s Tomra Systems

Andreas Nordbryhn

Tom Steidel

Lennart Flem

Tore Planke

Alain Ferber

Kristian Holmen

Steinar Solnordal

H&aring;kon Sagberg

Terje Hanserud

Anders Hunnes Helgesen Hansen

A reverse vending machine, including: a chamber adapted to receive an object returned to the reverse vending machine; a plurality of cameras arranged around the perimeter of the chamber for viewing said object; a transparent or translucent plate arranged such that the cameras in use view the object obliquely through the transparent or translucent plate; and means adapted to couple light into the plate such that the light undergoes total internal reflection in the plate. Also, a method of detecting dirt in a reverse vending machine.

Reverse vending machine and method of detecting dirt in a reverse vending machine

A system for imaging an object, the system including: a detection zone; a first unit adapted to selectively emit radiation of at least one first wavelength and radiation of at least one second, different wavelength for at least partly illuminating the object in the detection zone; a second unit adapted to capture at least partial images of the illuminated object; and an aperture placed in an optical path between the detection zone and the second unit. The aperture includes: a first, central area adapted to transmit radiation of at least the first wavelength(s) and the second wavelength(s); and a second area surrounding said first area, which second area is adapted to block radiation of the second wavelength(s), but transmit radiation of the first wavelength(s). Also, an imaging method, and use of a diaphragm in a reverse vending machine.

System and method for imaging an object

An apparatus, method, system and use of a least one sensor in a reverse vending machine for empty beverage containers for, on the sensor's detection at least one biometric feature of a person, allowing such a feature to serve as an identifying token for return value due for empty beverage containers delivered by the person to the reverse vending machine. The biometric feature is, at a return value payout point and by using at least one other sensor, redetected and re-recognized as a previously registered feature for payment of the return value in the form of a payout of the return value, credit for the return value or issuance of a lottery ticket with a stake equivalent to the return value. Said biometric feature is selected from at least one of the group consisting of: fingerprints, facial features, eye characteristics, iris features, handprints, palm line patterns, blood vessel patterns, body shape, height, weight, DNA-characteristics and voice spectrum.

Device and method related to return of empty beverage containers

A method and a system for determining the remuneration for the return of identifiable empty packaging to a receiving point, wherein the empty packaging () is identified with respect to at least one selected characteristic thereof, for example, dimension, type of packaging, type of material, recyclability, and deposit value, if any. The remuneration for individual types of empty packaging is related to at least two of a plurality of legal entities (-) which, for the return of empty packaging, are remuneration-providing and connectable to a remuneration coordinator () in communication with the receiving point in the form of a reverse vending machine (), and to the remuneration level of the connected legal entities that is applicable at any given time for a particular type or particular types of empty packaging.

Method and system for handling empty packaging

A method and a device for detecting containers, e.g. bottles of glass or plastics, or cans made of metal, wood, glass or plastics, which for recycling of materials thereof or reuse thereof are moved in a lying posture and with their axis parallel to direction of transport into or past a detection zone associated with a detector station containing a video camera, a video image analysis of the container being carried out by a video image analyser, and said detector station having an entrance and an exit. There is analysed a sequence of video images of the container whilst it is moved into or past the detection zone of the video camera, and it is determined position and movement of the container in a viewing region of the video camera on the basis of continuous detection of position and movement of the container in the video image. Further, there is determined direction of movement of the container relative to the detector station, thus either causing an alarm if the container is moved from a position downstream of the detector station exit to a position in the detector sector or zone, or causing no movement direction alarm if the container is moved from a position upstream of the detector station entrance and into the detection zone.

Method and device for detecting container movement

The method of handling an empty beverage container having a bottom end and a mouth region and includes moving the container, from a return vending machine inlet, in a direction towards an outlet thereof. Through use of the method there is detected by means of a video camera the container when moved in a lying posture into or past a detection zone of the video camera and the manner by which the container is inserted at said inlet. Further, there is determined whether the container is moved into the detection zone bottom end first or mouth region end first. If the container is delivered into the detection zone with its bottom end first, the container is transported to said outlet. If, however, the container is delivered into the detection zone with its mouth region end first, then the container is caused to be returned to the inlet.

Method and return vending machine device for handling empty beverage containers

A method and apparatus for identifying a material type in an article, such as wholly or partly transparent bottle of plastic or glass, including, with the aid of a detector station, irradiating the article with rays from an infrared radiation source, detecting rays which have passed through the article non-absorbed, and then carrying out a correlation analysis of such detected rays. The article is made to pass through the detector station in a continuous or discontinuous movement. The rays from the radiation source are successively filtered by the filters consisting of wholly or partly transparent materials which have different spectral characteristics. The rays filtered by the filters and non-absorbed by the article are intercepted in order to form a sequence of measured values representing characteristic transmission signatures of the article. A correlation analysis of the signatures is carried out in relation to statistical models in order to determine the material type of the article.

Method and device for identification of a type of material in an object and utilization therefor

Method and device for detecting liquid containers

A device for generating, detecting and recognizing a contour image of a liquid container, such as at least partly transparent, colored or non-colored bottles comprising a light source, light detector means, means for directing light rays received from said light source as parallel rays transversely of a path travelled by said container, and for conveying to said light detector means light rays which are not refracted or hidden by said container, processing means connected to said light detector means for processing signals from said detector means which are indicative of such detected light rays, and means for comparing such processed signals with predetermined container feature data to recognize said contour image of the container. The means for directing light rays suitably comprises a Fresnel lens which is located at a longitudinal side of said path, and a planar mirror located at an opposite longitudinal side of said path, said light source e.g. being a stationary light emitting diode capable of emitting light towards a lens. Said light detector means is suitably a TV camera, e.g. of the CCD type capable of detecting a container contour highlighted by light not hidden or refracted by the container.

Device for generating, detecting and recognizing a contour image of a

A reverse vending machine for empty cans, wherein a can (21) which is delivered by a machine user is inspected in a first section (1) of the machine with regard to special characteristics, where a non-accepted can is returned to the machine user, whilst an accepted can is fed to a second section (7) for discharge into a receptacle, optionally via a compactor or shredder (17). The first section (1) consists of a first can guide having a first end (1') for can insertion, a second end (1') for can discharge, and a partially open central section (1''). At the first end there is provided a first metal detector (2), and at the second end there is provided a second metal detector (3). An optical reader (4) is provided at a radial distance from the central portion and has its sensing field covering at least a part of the central portion, the reader reading characteristics of the can, such as a bar code applied thereon. Impelling devices (5, 6, M1, M2) are provided at the central section in order to urge a can (21) in a first direction through the first can guide and out via the second end, or return a non-accepted can (21) to the machine user in a second, opposite direction via the first end. A control unit (19) is connected to the metal detectors (2, 3), the optical reader (4), and the impelling means (M1, M2), the control unit (19) being designed to determine whether collected data indicate that: the characteristics are readable and the can is acceptable, or the characteristics are readable, but the can is not acceptable, or the characteristics are not readable and the can is not acceptable. As a consequence of such indication the control unit (19) is designed to actuate the impelling devices (5, 6, M1, M2) to move the can in one direction or the other. The second section (7) is equipped with a blocking body (14) to prevent articles other than cans accepted by the control unit (19) from being transported from the first section (1) to the second section (2).

Reverse vending apparatus

A device for measuring one or a plurality of regions of an object to be able to determine one or a plurality of dimensions of said object, comprising a means (3, 1, 6) for directing a light beam towards said object, a means (6, 1, 9) for receiving light beams (8) which are reflected from said object, and a means (54, 57-64) for calculating the travel time of the beam to and from said object, with a means (56) causing the light beam to be modulated with a fixed frequency (f.sub.0), and a means (1, 2, 6) causing the light beam to sweep across said object at a defined angle/defined angles relative to a fixed plane of reference during the entire sweeping operation, the light (8) that is reflected by said object returning to intercepting means (9), via said light beam sweeping means (6, 1, 2).

Device for measuring dimensions

A device for generating, detecting, and characterizing a raster image of the contour of an object, wherein a narrow concentrated light beam (1) is emitted towards a light beam deflector means (3) causing said light beam (1) to sweep repeatedly across a plane (19) through which the object is guilded, and where the light beams not screened by said object are received, and are opto-electrically transformed into electrical signals, e.g. pulse trains which are characteristic of the incremental portions of a raster image of said object, said signals being processed to yield a characteristic expression of the contour of said object. A retro-reflector (5;32) is placed in such a manner that light beams (10) not screened by said object are reflected back across said plane (19) at a second angle of scattering which is equal to or larger than said first angle of scattering, and a detector (11) receives the reflected light beams (10) and transforms them into said signals, preferably for forming a successive pulse train. When a continuous light beam is used the retro-reflector is provided with a plurality of narrow non-reflecting and mutually stripes (6) across the retro-reflector (5). When a pulsed light beam is used a nontreated retro-reflector (32) is used. The plane across which the light beam (1) sweeps may be caused to oscillate in which case a two-dimensional raster image of the contour of the object is formed.

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Oslo, Norway

Andreas Nordbryhn