Patent ID: 8794447

Claim:
A sorting device for separating products in a random bulk stream of inhomogeneous products, comprising: an image recording unit arranged for recording images of said bulk stream of products; an image processing unit connected to said image recording unit for determining product properties and process properties of products in said bulk stream from said recorded images; a decision unit connected to said image processing unit for determining, based on at least one of said determined product properties of said products, products to be separated; a separating unit arranged for separating said products to be separated from said bulk stream; an object processing unit arranged for determining, based on at least one of said determined product properties, points of engagement on said products to be separated, which points of engagement to be engaged by said separating unit for separating products to be separated from said bulk stream; a conveying unit for conveying said bulk stream to said separating unit via said image recording unit; a control unit communicatively coupled to said object processing unit and arranged for controlling said separating unit for separating said products to be separated from said bulk stream based on said points of engagement and process properties, wherein said process properties comprise a clustering of said products in said bulk stream, and wherein said object processing unit is arranged for further determining said points of engagement on said products to be separated based on said clustering of said products to be separated from said bulk stream.