The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 25, 2009
Filed:
Mar. 19, 2004
Ronald F. Wilson, Page Hill, GB;
Gary J. Pitt, Newport Pagnell, GB;
Timothy G. Irons, Kempston, GB;
William A. H. Everitt, Commercial Road, GB;
Ronald F. Wilson, Page Hill, GB;
Gary J. Pitt, Newport Pagnell, GB;
Timothy G. Irons, Kempston, GB;
William A. H. Everitt, Commercial Road, GB;
Molins PLC, Milton Keynes, GB;
Abstract
A method of determining one or more physical properties of a rolled smoking article is disclosed, the method comprising disposing a rolled smoking article within a field of view, illuminating the field of view, imaging the rolled smoking article to form an image, and analyzing the image to determine one or more physical properties of the rolled smoking article. Preferably the image is a digital image, which may be electronically processed to determine the physical properties. The physical properties may include the length of the rolled smoking article, or its mean diameter, ovality, circumference, roundness or shape. Also disclosed is an apparatus for performing such method comprising imaging means defining the field of view, means for positioning a smoking article in the field of view, illuminating means for illuminating the field of view, and processing means for processing the image to determine one more physical properties.