Canpolar East Inc.

Other

Canopular East Inc.

Ernest M Reimer

Paul Hearn

Lorna H Baldwin

Robert D Inkster

Ivi Hermanto

A collision deformation sensor for use within the crush zone of a vehicle consists of first and second spaced apart substrates for mounting to or forming respective vehicle components, with a compressible carrier medium filling the space between the substrates. The carrier medium is formed from a material transparent or translucent to light or other wave energy, and includes wave energy scattering centers dispersed within the medium to create a scattered energy volume. Alternatively the carrier medium forms a hollow cavity, the inside surface of which is coated with a wave energy dispersion coating. A source and receiver of light or other wave energy communicates with the carrier medium. Signal couplings and processors are associated with the source and receiver. The device operates on the principle whereby compression of the space between the substrates increases the intensity of a light or other wave energy, and this increase is detected by the receiver and signal processor, which in turn activates an air bag, or seat belt tightener or the like.

Collision deformation sensor using a source of wave energy for use in the crush zone of a vehicle

A sensor for detecting changes in a variety of conditions is provided, including temperature, chemical conditions including pH and ion levels, biological antigens, radiation levels, electrical field and pressure applied to the sensor. The sensor body is formed from a material which incorporates an evenly dispersed matrix of light-scattering elements. A light source emits light into the body to form an effective optical cavity in which the light is scattered by the matrix. One or more receivers detects the intensity of scattered or integrated light inside and/or outside of the optical cavity. The matrix and/or the sensor body are composed of materials which reduce or increase the density of light-scattering elements, depending on the conditions applied to the matrix. An increase in the density of the light-scattering elements results in a corresponding increase in the integrated intensity of light received by the receiver, when the receiver is positioned within the optical cavity. At a more distant location, the integrated light intensity at the receiver decreases as the density of scattering elements increases. A processing unit translates the intensity level received by the receiver, into a measure of intensity of the condition detected by the sensor.

Sensors for detecting physical conditions

A sensor for detecting localized pressure bearing on the sensor, comprises a volume of compressible, light translucent material having light-scattering centers evenly dispersed throughout the material. A light emitter communicates with the material to form a virtual optical cavity within the material; the intensity of scattered light is detected by a detector. A second detector is positioned at some distance removed from the first detector, outside the virtual optical cavity. Pressure bearing on the material increases the intensity of scattered light within the optical cavity. The decreased intensity is measured by the second detector. A signal processor receives signals from the first and second detectors, and resolves these signals into information indicative of pressure bearing on the sensor.

Pressure sensor

Switches and joysticks comprise user-moveable two position and multi position switches, including simple on/off and variable switches such as dimmers. The switches operate on the principle of detecting the position of a user-grippable switch arm, a portion of which bears on a pressure-sensitive pad. The pad is a deformable material which detects and localizes pressure against the pad, by transmitting into the pad matrix a wave energy such as light, and detecting the intensity of same. As the pad is locally compressed, intensity of the wave energy increases in the region around the compression. The position of a switch arm may thus be detected, and the information transmitted to a central processing unit, for further processing.

Switches and joysticks using a non-electrical deformable pressure sensor

A vehicle acceleration and attitude sensor is provided, having use as a vehicle collision sensor for activation of air bags and the like, and as well for detecting an unsafe angle or attitude of the vehicle. A compressible carrier medium of light or other wave energy, such as translucent foam, is coupled with a light or other wave energy source and a receiver. An inertial mass, which may consist of the carrier medium itself, is in contact with the carrier medium and operates to compress the carrier medium when the apparatus is either accelerated or tilted beyond a predetermined amount. A signal coupler and processor are associated with the energy source and receiver. The apparatus operates on the principle whereby compression of a scattering medium or an integrating cavity, within the region surrounding a light or other wave energy source, will increase the intensity of the wave energy. This increased intensity is translated into a measurement of the acceleration or tilt experienced by the sensor.

Sensor for detection of acceleration and attitude within a vehicle

An apparatus for cleaning the shells of crabs and other crustacean and shellfish for removal of barnacles and other encrusted debris. A conveyor carries the shells through a cleaning station. The cleaning station features a rotating flail, having chains or other like flexible members for impacting against the shells with hard, smooth members for selectively shattering the barnacle shells while permitting the relatively softer crustacean shells to remain intact.

Apparatus for removing barnacles from crustacean shells

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for the automated inspection of objects for the presence of visual anomalies. The apparatus includes a first wide angle camera for acquiring an image of the object, a processor for detecting targets and generating target location from the image of the object, a two axis post-objective scanner associated with a high resolution camera for directing target image to the high resolution camera. The scanner provides a mechanism for saccadic emulation in combination with a high resolution video camera, which can be synchronized to the frame rate of the video camera for rapid high resolution examination of an object. The method according to the present invention comprises the steps of: capturing an image of at least a portion of an object; identifying visual anomalies as targets and detecting any targets on the object; generating location data for a detected target; emulating saccadic movement to selectively capture a high resolution image of a target; and generating an output for analysis. The apparatus and method are particularly suited for the automated detection of defects, in particular parasites, in fish fillets. It is an advantage of the present invention that post-objective scanning permits the camera to remain stationary, while only the mirrors are moved, to acquire high resolution data of substantially only the targets, resulting in increased speed and reduced processing time.

Apparatus and method for automated visual inspection of objects

A candling method for detecting anomalies in translucent material (10) e.g. parasites in fish fillets, comprises directing an illumination beam (Io) of light through the material. It has been discovered that improved results in terms of more reliable detection of anomalies, and the ability to locate such anomalies in thicker samples than has previously been possible, can be obtained by using a beam with a radius no greater than 1 mm and preferably no greater than 0.5 mm. For still better results the beam radius can be reduced to a value no greater than 0.1 mm, and even down to 0.05 mm.

Growing community of inventors

Oster Cove, Canada

Ernest M Reimer