Method and system for portioning workpieces using reference shape as a directly controlled characteristic

摘要

A method and system are provided for automatically portioning workpieces, such as food products, by simulating portioning the workpieces in accordance with the one or more desired shapes of the final piece(s) as a directly controlled physical characteristic (parameter/specification) as well as one or more resulting indirectly controlled physical characteristics (parameters/specifications). The desired shape(s) of the final piece(s) are defined by a plurality of manipulatable reference coordinates. A workpiece is scanned to obtain scanning information, then portioning of the workpiece is simulated in accordance with the desired shape(s) of the final piece(s) defined by the directly controlled reference coordinates, thereby to determine the one or more indirectly controlled physical characteristics of the one or more final pieces to be portioned from the workpiece. The simulated portioning of the workpiece is performed for multiple combinations of directly controlled shapes as defined by the modified or edited reference coordinates and indirectly controlled physical characteristics until an acceptable set of a directly controlled shape and resulting one or more indirectly controlled physical characteristics is determined.

主权项

1. A method of automatically portioning a food workpiece into one or more final pieces, comprising:
(a) designating one or more desired shapes of the final piece(s) as a directly controlled physical characteristic of the final piece(s) and designating one or more resulting indirectly controlled physical characteristics for one or more final piece(s) to be portioned from each workpiece, the desired shape(s) of the final piece(s) defined by a plurality of reference coordinates; (b) scanning the workpiece to obtain scanning information; (c) simulating portioning the workpiece according to the desired shape(s) of the final piece(s) as defined by the reference coordinates and calculating the resulting one or more indirectly controlled physical characteristics of the one or more final piece(s) to be portioned according to the desired shape(s) of the final piece(s) as defined by the reference coordinates; (d) moving the reference coordinates relative to each other to define modified coordinates, thereby to change the shape of the final piece(s) and/or move the reference coordinates as a group to different locations about the workpiece to define modified coordinates and repeating the simulating portioning of the workpiece at said different locations of the modified coordinates and rating each simulated portioning based on how closely the simulated portioning achieves the desired shape of the final piece(s) and optionally also based on how closely the one or more resulting indirectly controlled physical characteristics is achieved; (e) using one or more algorithms to select potentially acceptable portioning options until an acceptable set of modified coordinates corresponding to the modified shape(s) of the final piece(s) and one or more corresponding indirectly controlled physical characteristics are determined; and (f) portioning the workpiece according to the selected portioning option(s) as determined in step (e) above.