R.j. Reynolds Tobacco Company

Mike Whitley

David E Hall

Gary Lee Wood

Larry McCann

Frank Brantley

Eddie Nuckols

Martin Sama

Charles Reddell

Mike Shockley

Derwin Hiatt

Isaac Martin

David R Hall

Smoking article inspection systems configured to inspect smoking articles are provided. The systems may include imaging devices configured to capture images of an exterior of the smoking article and an analysis unit configured to analyze the images captured by the imaging devices. The analysis unit may execute an edge detection tool configured to determine a position of the smoking article based on an edge location of the smoking article and a defect detection tool configured to determine whether the smoking article is defective after the position of the smoking article is determined. The imaging devices may be configured to capture images of the smoking articles during the assembly thereof. Thereby, the analysis unit may determine any operations during assembly causing damage to the smoking article from analysis of the images of the smoking article captured during assembly. Related methods are also provided.

Smoking article inspection system and associated method

Growing community of inventors

Winston-Salem, NC, United States of America

Mike Whitley