Patent Document ID: 5544254
Application ID: 08400556
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. Apparatus for sorting crystalline objects, said apparatus comprising: image means for creating an image of a crystalline object viewed from a defined angle, said image comprising a set of polygonal outlines including a first polygonal outline corresponding to the representation of the silhouette of said crystalline object in said image and a second polygonal outline corresponding to the representation of the shape of a crystalline face of said crystalline object in said image; comparison means for comparing said set of polygonal outlines of said image to (a) at least one template derived from a set of reference polygons including a first reference polygon corresponding to a silhouette of a reference crystal and a second reference polygon corresponding to the shape of a crystalline face of said reference crystal within said silhouette, wherein said template can be varied in position, size, and shape by changing the values of at least one parameter, and (b) at least one set of parameter values for said at least one template, for varying the position, size, and shape of said at least one template by changing the values of said at least one parameter, and for selecting at least one combination of a template and a set of parameter values corresponding to said image; output means for indicating at least one parameter value selected by said comparison means; and sorting means for sorting the crystalline object to one of a plurality of destinations dependent upon at least one parameter value selected by said comparison means.