Method and apparatus of distinguishing between live and dead poultry eggs

Claim 1

A method of distinguishing between live and dead poultry eggs, the method comprising: (a) monitoring the individual temperatures of a selected group of eggs; (b) using the monitored individual egg temperatures to determine a comparative egg temperature for the selected group of eggs; (c) determining the difference between each individual egg temperature and the comparative egg temperature of the selected group; and (d) identifying eggs as live or dead on the basis of the difference between their monitored individual temperatures and the comparative egg temperature of the selected group.

Claim 2

A method of distinguishing between live and dead poultry eggs, the method comprising: (a) monitoring the individual temperatures of a selected group of eggs; (b) using the monitored individual egg temperatures to determine a comparative egg temperature for the selected group of eggs; (c) determining the difference between each individual egg temperature and the comparative egg temperature of the selected group; and (d) identifying eggs as live or dead on the basis of the difference between their monitored individual temperatures and the comparative egg temperature of the selected group.

Claim 10

A method of using infrared radiation to distinguish between live and dead poultry eggs, the method comprising: moving a fixed array of eggs to a predetermined aligned position with respect to an infrared sensor; measuring the infrared radiation emitted by each egg in the fixed array of eggs; calculating a threshold temperature for which 70 percent of the eggs measured in the fixed array are cooler; identifying as dead eggs in the fixed array whose measured temperatures were more than 1 degree Fahrenheit cooler than the threshold temperature; and removing the eggs identified as dead from the fixed array of eggs.

Claim 11

A method of using infrared radiation to distinguish between live and dead poultry eggs, the method comprising: moving a fixed array of eggs to a predetermined aligned position with respect to an infrared sensor; measuring the infrared radiation emitted by each egg in the fixed array of eggs; calculating a threshold temperature for which 70 percent of the eggs measured in the fixed array are cooler; identifying as dead eggs in the fixed array whose measured temperatures were more than 1 degree Fahrenheit cooler than the threshold temperature; and removing the eggs identified as dead from the fixed array of eggs.

Claim 17

A method of using infrared radiation to distinguish between live and dead poultry eggs, the method comprising: (a) moving an open bottom flat of eggs to an aligned position in which one row of eggs in the flat is aligned over a row of infrared sensors with each sensor being aligned with a single egg in the row; (b) measuring the infrared radiation emitted by each egg through the open spaces in the bottom of the standard setting flats; (c) recording the temperature of each egg in the row; (d) advancing a next row of eggs in the standard setting flat over the row of infrared sensors; (e) repeating steps (b), (c) and (d) for each row of eggs in the standard setting flat until the infrared radiation from each egg has been measured and the temperature of each egg recorded; (f) calculating a threshold temperature for which 70 percent of the eggs measured in the standard setting flat are cooler; (g) identifying as dead eggs in the standard setting flats whose recorded temperatures were more than 1 degree Fahrenheit below the threshold temperature; and (h) removing the eggs identified as dead from the standard setting flat.

Claim 18

A method of using infrared radiation to distinguish between live and dead poultry eggs, the method comprising: (a) moving an open bottom flat of eggs to an aligned position in which one row of eggs in the flat is aligned over a row of infrared sensors with each sensor being aligned with a single egg in the row; (b) measuring the infrared radiation emitted by each egg through the open spaces in the bottom of the standard setting flats; (c) recording the temperature of each egg in the row; (d) advancing a next row of eggs in the standard setting flat over the row of infrared sensors; (e) repeating steps (b), (c) and (d) for each row of eggs in the standard setting flat until the infrared radiation from each egg has been measured and the temperature of each egg recorded; (f) calculating a threshold temperature for which 70 percent of the eggs measured in the standard setting flat are cooler; (g) identifying as dead eggs in the standard setting flats whose recorded temperatures were more than 1 degree Fahrenheit below the threshold temperature; and (h) removing the eggs identified as dead from the standard setting flat.

Claim 19

A method of distinguishing between live and dead poultry eggs, the method comprising: (a) monitoring the individual temperatures of a selected group of eggs; (b) statistically organizing the temperatures into a bimodal distribution; (c) identifying eggs as live or dead on the basis of the difference between their individual monitored temperatures and the mean temperatures of the bimodal distribution.

Claim 20

A method of distinguishing between live and dead poultry eggs, the method comprising: (a) monitoring the individual temperatures of a selected group of eggs; (b) statistically organizing the temperatures into a bimodal distribution; (c) identifying eggs as live or dead on the basis of the difference between their individual monitored temperatures and the mean temperatures of the bimodal distribution.

Claim 21

A method of distinguishing between live and dead poultry eggs, the method comprising: (a) monitoring the individual temperatures of a selected group of eggs; (b) identifying a predetermined fraction of the selected group of eggs as the warmest eggs of the selected group; (c) calculating the mean temperature for the eggs in the predetermined fraction; and (d) identifying individual eggs as live or dead on the basis of the difference between each individual egg temperature and the mean temperature of the predetermined fraction.

Claim 22

A method of distinguishing between live and dead poultry eggs, the method comprising: (a) monitoring the individual temperatures of a selected group of eggs; (b) identifying a predetermined fraction of the selected group of eggs as the warmest eggs of the selected group; (c) calculating the mean temperature for the eggs in the predetermined fraction; and (d) identifying individual eggs as live or dead on the basis of the difference between each individual egg temperature and the mean temperature of the predetermined fraction.

Claim 26

A method of distinguishing between live and dead poultry eggs, the method comprising: (a) monitoring the initial individual temperatures of a selected group of eggs following their removal from an incubator and before the eggs reach an equilibrium with the ambient temperature; (b) monitoring subsequent the individual temperatures of the same selected group of eggs at a selected interval of time following the monitoring of their initial temperatures; (c) using the initial monitored temperatures and the subsequent monitored temperatures to determine the rate of cooling of each individual egg and a comparative rate of cooling for the selected group of eggs; (d) determining the difference between the rate of cooling of each individual egg and the comparative rate of cooling for the selected group; and (e) identifying eggs as live or dead on the basis of the difference between their individual rate of cooling and the comparative rate of cooling for the selected group.

Claim 27

A method of distinguishing between live and dead poultry eggs, the method comprising: (a) monitoring the initial individual temperatures of a selected group of eggs following their removal from an incubator and before the eggs reach an equilibrium with the ambient temperature; (b) monitoring subsequent the individual temperatures of the same selected group of eggs at a selected interval of time following the monitoring of their initial temperatures; (c) using the initial monitored temperatures and the subsequent monitored temperatures to determine the rate of cooling of each individual egg and a comparative rate of cooling for the selected group of eggs; (d) determining the difference between the rate of cooling of each individual egg and the comparative rate of cooling for the selected group; and (e) identifying eggs as live or dead on the basis of the difference between their individual rate of cooling and the comparative rate of cooling for the selected group.