Patent ID: 6043445
Filing Date: 2000-03-28
Classification: B07C,Y10S

Abstract:
An apparatus for sorting moving fragments of titanium-based sponge on the basis of color, the apparatus comprising:(I) at least one electronic imaging device capable of capturing a color image of the titanium fragments;(II) normalizing means for providing normalized color values of the titanium-based sponge of the image captured from the at least one electronic imaging device;(III) a titanium-based sponge color look-up table with addressable memory locations corresponding to normalized color values associated with each image, the titanium-based sponge color look-up table being loaded with at least one indicating data set comprising color values and accept and reject information about various classes of titanium-based sponge colors, the various classes of titanium-based sponge colors corresponding to at least one of acceptable colors values of titanium-based sponge and rejectable color values of titanium-based sponge, with each indicating data set stored at each of said locations being considered in determining whether a fragment or portion thereof has acceptable or rejectable color values;(IV) addressing means using the normalized color values for addressing the titanium-based sponge color look-up table;(V) means for processing the normalized color values and comparing the normalized color values to each indicating data set in the titanium-based sponge color look-up table locations corresponding to the captured color image of the fragment of titanium-based sponge and the acceptable and rejectable colors values of titanium-based sponge, for processing data for moving fragments of titanium-based sponge; and(VI) controlling means for moving each fragment of titanium-based sponge to a directed acceptance or rejected site, based on the determined color value of the fragment of titanium-based sponge.