Patent ID: 8175327

Claim:
A system for determining in near real-time the product density value of a zone of preferable small fungible products within an acceptable size range in a flow of products and for outputting said product density value to a product flow controller before said zone reaches a flow control device, comprising: a sampling container, said sampling container having an internal volume, said internal volume of said sampling container defining a sample when filled with products; a weight scale, said weight scale positioned below said sampling container and positioned to receive said sample from said sampling container; said weight scale adapted to transmit a sample weight value to weight processor, said sample weight value indicative of the weight of said sample; an imaging table, said imaging table below said weight scale and positioned to receive said sample from said weight scale; a camera, said camera adapted to transmit at least one image of said imaging table to a counting processor; said counting processor adapted to identify each acceptable product in said sample within said acceptable size range and determining the number of said acceptable products, said counting processor adapted to perform a morphological erosion on said at least one image of said products above said acceptable size range until at least some of said products above said acceptable size range appear separated and of determining the number of said separated products, and adapted to combine the number of said acceptable products of said sample within said acceptable size range and said number of said separated products to determine a sample count; and a density processor adapted to determine said product density value by dividing said sample count by said sample weight value.