EP0321981A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Method and apparatus for the determination of quality properties of individual cattle carcasses
Assignee: Danish Technological Institute
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Filing: 1988-12-22
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2008-12-22
Abstract
Abstract The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for the objective determination of the conformation and fatness classes and other quality properties of individual cattle carcasses. A carcass (19) or half of a split carcass (19c) is placed in a light-screening chamber (1) in front of a light-emitting, contrasting surface (13), and while the carcass (19, 19c) stands out as a dark silhouette against the contrasting surface, a picture of one entire side of the carcass is registered with a video camera (18). The contour of the carcass is determined by processing the registered picture in a data processing system. On the basis of the determined contour a calculation of the parameters is performed in the data processing system, and the classes and other quality properties of the carcass are determined, and the result is displayed or printed. The apparatus comprises a light-screening chamber having a light-emitting, contrasting surface (13) and means (7,8,9) for placing the carcass in front of the surface. A video camera (18) is facing the surface registering a picture of the carcass while it stands out as dark silhouette against the surface. A data processing system determines the contour by processing the registered picture. This system calculates the classes and other quality properties of the carcass, and the result is displayed or printed. The classes of conformation and fatness may be determined with sufficient accuracy to replace the subjective classification performed by a classifier.
Inventors
- 👤 Freddy Petersen
- 👤 Svend Erik Soerensen
- 👤 Signe Klastrup
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 01:48
CPC Classifications
A; A22; A22B; A22B5/00; A22B5/0064; A22B5/007; G; G01; G01N; G01N33/00; G01N33/02; G01N33/12
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
132 words
1 A method for the determination of quality properties of individual cattle carcasses, comprising the following steps: - placing a carcass (19) or half of a split carcass (19a) in a light-screening chamber (1) in front of a light-emitting, contrasting surface (13), - registering a picture of one entire side of the carcass while the carcass stands out as a dark silhouette against the contrasting surface with an electronic video camera (18) facing the contrasting surface (13), - determining the contour of the carcass by processing the registered picture by means of a data processing system, - performing a calculation of parameters on the basis of the determined contour in the data processing system to determine the quality properties of the carcass, and - outputting the determined quality properties of the carcass.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
132 words
1 A method for the determination of quality properties of individual cattle carcasses, comprising the following steps: - placing a carcass (19) or half of a split carcass (19a) in a light-screening chamber (1) in front of a light-emitting, contrasting surface (13), - registering a picture of one entire side of the carcass while the carcass stands out as a dark silhouette against the contrasting surface with an electronic video camera (18) facing the contrasting surface (13), - determining the contour of the carcass by processing the registered picture by means of a data processing system, - performing a calculation of parameters on the basis of the determined contour in the data processing system to determine the quality properties of the carcass, and - outputting the determined quality properties of the carcass.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method according to Claim 1, wherein one or more dimensions of the carcass are determined on the basis of the registered carcass contour and recognizable points therein.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the thickness of meat and fat are measured at selected places on the carcass by inserting a probe into the carcass, and the measurements are used as parameters in the data processing system to determine the quality properties.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
93 words
The method according to one of the Claims 1-3, wherein a second picture of the carcass is registered by means of the electronic video camera (18) with illumination of the side of the carcass facing the camera, the registered picture and the determined contour are processed in the data processing system to mask the background of said second picture and to discriminate between meat and fat areas of the carcass surface, and wherein the resulting areas are used as parameters in the data processing system to determine the quality properties of the carcass.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
49 words
The method according to Claim 4, wherein a partial picture of the registered picture is defined by means of the determined contour of the individual carcass, and the light reflection values for the picture elements of said partial picture are processed statistically to discriminate between meat and fat areas.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
35 words
The method according to one of the Claims 4 - 5, wherein the side of the carcass facing the camera is illuminated by light of a diffuse character during the registration of said second picture.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
45 words
The method according to one of the Claims 5 - 6, wherein a partial picture is used, the lower border line of which is the horizontal line which intersects the top point of the curve along the neck and the front legs of the carcass.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
223 words
The method according to Claim 1 comprising the steps of: - placing a carcass (19) or half of a split carcass (19a) in the light-screening chamber (1) in front of the light-emitting, contrasting surface (13), - registering the first picture of one entire side of the carcass while the carcass stands out as a dark silhouette against the contrasting surface with the electronic video camera (18) facing the contrasting surface, - illuminating the one side of the carcass facing the video camera, - registering a second picture of the side of the carcass with the electronic video camera while said side is illuminated, - determining the contour of the carcass by processing the registered first picture by means of the data processing system, - defining a partial picture of the registered second picture by means of the determined contour and processing the light reflection values for the elements of said partial picture to discriminate between meat and fat areas, - if desired, measuring the thicknesses of meat and fat at selected places on the carcass by inserting a probe into the carcass, - performing a calculation of the parameters in the data processing system on the basis of the determined contour, areas and thicknesses to determine the relevant quality properties of the individual carcass, and - outputting the determined properties of the carcass.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
144 words
An apparatus for the determination of the quality properties of individual cattle carcasses, particularly for carrying out the method according to one of Claims 1 to 8, comprising: - a light-screening chamber (1) having a light-emitting, contrasting surface (13) and means (7, 8, 9) for placing a carcass or half of a split carcass in front of said contrasting surface, - an electronic video camera (18) facing the contrasting surface to register a picture of one entire side if the carcass while it stands out as a dark silhouette against the contrasting surface, - a data processing system designed to determine the contour of the carcass by processing the registered picture which performs a calculation of parameters on the basis of the determined contour to determine the quality properties of the carcass, and - means for outputting the determined quality properties of the carcass.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus according to Claim 9, wherein the light-emitting contrasting surface (13) is of an essentially homogeneous surface brightness.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
27 words
The apparatus according to Claims 9 - 10 comprising an instrument with a probe for insertion into the carcass to register the thickness of meat and fat.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
49 words
The apparatus according to one of the Claims 9 - 11 comprising an arrangement (15, 16, 17) for the illumination on the side of the carcass facing the camera (18) and a programme in the data processing system to discriminate between meat and fat areas of a registered picture.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus according to Claim 12, wherein the arrangement is designed to generate light of a diffuse character.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus according to Claim 13, wherein the arrangement includes a frosted, translucent plate (15a) behind which several sources of light are placed.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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