Patent ID: 8605149

Claim:
A method in a computer system for classifying a seed by determining which of any of a group of seed structures the seed is detected to have, the computer system including a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the method comprising: subjecting the seed to a first spectral signal; recording a first reflection of the spectral signal; causing the processor to produce a first image data of the recording; storing the first image data in the memory; causing the processor to identify one or more seed structures for the seed based on the first image data stored in the memory; causing the processor to classify the seed based on the one or more identified seed structures; subjecting the seed to a second spectral signal; recording a respective second reflection of the second spectral signal; causing the processor to produce a second image data of the recording; storing the second image data in the memory; and causing the processor to identify one or more seed structures for the seed based on the second image data; wherein the group of seed structures includes one or more from the following: a seed coat, a root, a stem, a leaf; or a seed structure occurring between the development of any two seed structures of the group of seed; or a sub-structure occurring in the development of any one or more of the group of seed structures; wherein the seed sub-structure includes one or more from the following group: hilium, micropyle, testa, embryonic root, radicle, root tip, root meristem, embryonic shoot, shoot meristem, epicotyl, plummule, coleoptiles, shoot, stem, hypocotyls, hook, round cotyledon, true leaf, and cotyledon leaf; wherein the first spectral signal is ambient light and the second spectral signal is produced from a laser source; and wherein the first image data is red-green-blue image data, and the second image data is low-chlorophyll data or high-chlorophyll data.