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:
Mar. 29, 2011
Filed:
Feb. 20, 2006
Oscar Vanegas, Osaka, JP;
Mitsuru Shirasawa, Osaka, JP;
Oscar Vanegas, Osaka, JP;
Mitsuru Shirasawa, Osaka, JP;
Panasonic Electric Works, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
A method of inspecting granular material and an inspection device for conducting that method, wherein agents () to be inspected are imaged, the pixel value of each pixel of images thus picked up is digitized, a plurality of reference points are dispersed along the outlines of massive regions corresponding to the agents () in digital images, the numbers of other reference points that can be viewed through massive regions from individual reference points are counted, a reference point giving a minimum counted value is extracted as a base point, and the number of these base points is counted as the number of granular materials. Accordingly, the number of granular materials can be counted accurately even if a plurality of granular materials to be inspected overlap each other, are in contact with each other, or any agent having a groove in one surface is erected.