FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 of 1970)
As amended by the Patents (Amendment) Act, 2005
&
The Patents Rules, 2003
As amended by the Patents (Amendment) Rules, 2006
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
(See section 10 and rule 13)
TITLE OF THE INVENTION
An automated system and method of detecting and ejecting a defective object from a cunveyor belt
APPLICANTS
Crompton Greaves Limited, CG House, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli, Mumbai 400 030, Maharashtra, India, an Indian Company
INVENTORS
Mukund Amin and Sitaram Raju of Crompton Greaves Ltd, Lightning Division, Vadodra - 391 430, Gujarat, India, both Indian Nationals
PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION
The following specification particularly describes the invention ar which it is to be performed:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an automated system and method of detecting and ejecting a defective object from a conveyor belt. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Manufacturing and assembling of objects such as a lamp mount is usually done in an automated environment moving from one st^ge of assembling to the other on a conveyor belt. In the last stage of assembling of the lamp mount, a filament is held between the lead wires of the lamp such that one end of the filament'is mounted on end of the lead wire and other end of the filament on the other end of the lead wire. Thereafter, the filament is coated with a special chemical called emitter or getter for improving electron emission and life of the lamp. Although the above processes are automated, there is a possibility that the two ends of the filament are not held properly on the respective lead wires or only end of the filament is held on the lead wires and the other end of the filament remaining hanging. Also, instead of prescribed number of filaments, say one filament, there is a possibility thai more than one filament are mounted on the lead wires. Also, there is a possibility that the filament is not at all coated with the emitter or not coated properly. Therefore, in view of the above, it is imperative to inspect the lamp mount after the final stages of lamp mount assembling as mentioned above. Usually, such an inspection is done manually. However, such manual inspection is time consuming and there is a possibility that a defective lamp mount is missed by the human inspector. Therefore, there is need to completely automate this process of detecting defects in the lamp mounts and removing them from the conveyor belt.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, there is provided an automated system for detecting and ejecting a defective object from a conveyor belt, the system comprising at least one image sensor camera each adapted to capture at least one image of each object being carried on the conveyor belt, a processing means interfaced with the image sensor camera for receiving said images therefrom, the processing means preprogrammed to compare at least one pre-defined parameter of the object captured in each received image with a corresponding reference parameter captured in pre-stored reference image within the processing means, determine a comparison score based on said comparison, the comparison score being indicative of the corresponding object on the conveyor belt being acceptable or defective; wherein upon a object being detected to be defective based on said comparison score, a control signal being generated and transmitted by the processing means to an ejection means interfaced therewith for actuating the ejection means to eject said defective object from the conveyor belt.
According to the invention, there is also provided a method of automatically detecting and ejecting defective objects from a conveyor belt, the method comprising the steps of capturing at least one image of each object being carried on the conveyor belt by means of an image sensor camera; receiving each image from the image sensor camera by a processing means; comparing within the processing means at least one pre-defined parameter of the object captured in each said image of each object with a corresponding reference parameter captured in pre-stored reference image; determining a comparison score within the processing means based on said comparison, the comparison score being indicative of the corresponding object on the

conveyor belt being acceptable or defective; generating and transmitting a control signal by the processing means to an ejection means upon a object being detected to be defective based on said comparison score; ejecting the defective object from the conveyor belt by the ejection means upon receiving the control signal from the processing means.
These and other aspects, features and advantages of the invention will be better understood with reference to the following detailed description, accompanying drawings and appended claims, in which,
Fig 1 is a block diagram depicting an automated system for detecting and ejecting a defective object from a conveyor belt.
Fig 1 is a block diagram depicting an automated system for detecting and ejecting a defective object from a conveyor belt. According to a preferred embodiment, the object here is a lamp mount 1. A lamp mount 1 usually comprises of a flare, a glass exhaust tube extending from the flare, a pair of lead wires held onto the flare and a filament held on the lead wires and electrically connected thereto. Usually, the final stage of the assembling of the lamp mount 1 involves mounting of a filament on the lead wires and coating it with a chemical called emitter. This is normally done in a specialized device (not shown) arranged appropriately over the conveyor belt 2. The lamp mount 1 without the filament enters the device wherein the mounting of the filament and coating thereof is carried out. As soon as the lamp mount 1 comes out of the device, an image sensor camera 3 placed appropriately around the conveyor belt 2 at the output end of the device captures the image of the lamp mount 1 coming out from the device. As such any image sensor camera 3 capable of object recognition and which can be interfaced with another device such as a processor can be used and not described herein in detail. It may be noted here that there may be such multiple

image sensor cameras 3 placed appropriately to capture the image of the lamp mount 1 at preferred pre-determined angles. Each image captured by the image sensor camera 3 is such that at least one pre-determined parameter of the lamp mount 1 to be inspected is captured in that image. However, if only one image sensor camera 3 is used, it is placed in such a way that all pre-determined parameters to be inspected are captured in the image. Alternatively, the image sensor camera 3 may be configured/adapted to take multiple images of the object. In respect of the aforementioned preferred embodiment, one image sensor camera 3 configured to take one image of the filament of the lamp mount 1 is placed appropriately adjacent to the conveyor belt 2 to inspect pre-determined parameters of the filament. The parameters usually pre-determined to be inspected in respect of the filament are: number of filament(s) placed on the lead (usually one), proper mounting of the filament on the lead wires and coating on the filament. However, there may be other parameters as well. Also, the image sensor camera 3 may be configured to take images of other components of the lamp mount 1 as well to inspect their parameters. Each image corresponding to each lamp mount 1 coming out of the device is received by a processing means 4 interfaced with the image sensor camera 3. The connection/interfacing of the image sensor camera 3 may be through wires or wirelessly. Usually, the processing means 4 is a microprocessor configured with below mentioned capabilities. A reference image of the filament is stored in the processor wherein all the parameters of the filament captured in the reference image are acceptable. For example, in the reference image, only one filament is placed on the lead wires, no end of the filament is hanging and the filament is coated acceptably. After the image of a lamp mount 1 on the conveyor belt 2 is received by the microprocessor 4. it compares each pre-determined parameter of the filament captured

in the received image with the corresponding parameter captured in the reference image. A comparison score is outputted consequently by the microprocessor 4 which is indicative of the lamp mount 1 (of whose image is compared) being defective or acceptable. For example, if the received image has two filaments instead of one, the reference and received images will not match. Similarly, if one end of the filament is hanging or there is no coating on the filament, there will be a mismatch in the received and reference images. Thus, a comparison score will be outputted which is indicative of the lamp mount 1 being defective. The microprocessor 4 may be preprogrammed to take into account certain acceptable tolerance in the parameters of the filament. Usually, the comparison score is one (1) or zero (0) wherein one being indicative of the lamp mount 1 being acceptable and zero being the lamp mount 1 being defective. However, there may be other ways of outputting the comparison score. As such, any know comparison modules may be used by the microprocessor 4 for comparison. For example, the comparison module may involve superimposition of the received image on the reference image for comparisons. Further, the microprocessor 4 is pre-programmed to generate and transmit a control signal to an ejection means 5 connected therewith upon determination of a comparison as 0 (zero) i.e. indicative of a lamp mount 1 on the conveyor belt 2 being defective. The ejection means 5 upon receiving the control signal pushes off or dislodges the lamp mount I in respect of which the control signal is generated from the conveyor belt 2. According to a preferred embodiment, the control signal is transmitted only after a predetermined time interval from the time the image in respect of which the control signal is generated was captured. The time interval is equivalent to the time taken by the lamp mount 1 to travel on the conveyor belt 2 from the position at which its image was taken by the image sensor camera 3 to the position at which the ejection means 5

is configured to hit it for ejecting it from the conveyor belt 2. Also, upon
determination of a comparison score as zero (0), any further comparisons scheduled to
be performed by the microprocessor 4 is cancelled, if the comparison score is
determined to be 1 (one) i.e. indicative of a lamp mount 1 on the conveyor belt 2
being acceptable, no such control signal is generated. Thus, all acceptable lamp
mounts 1 are allowed to pass beyond the ejection means 5 whereas all defective lamp
mounts 1 are dislodged off the conveyor belt 2. The ejection means 5 according to a
preferred embodiment is a solenoid or any electro pneumatic actuator connected to the
microprocessor 4 at its input end and to a plunger at its output end. The plunger is
placed in such a manner adjacent to the conveyor belt 2 that upon receiving the
control signal by the solenoid from the microprocessor 4,it is actuated by the solenoid
to push a lamp mount 1 off the conveyor belt 2. The positioning of the plunger
adjacent to the conveyor belt 2 is dependent on the factors such as positioning of the
image sensor camera 3, speed of the conveyor belt 2, time taken by the
microprocessor 4 to receive and compare the image, output a comparison score,
generate and transmit a control signal to the solenoid, time taken by the solenoid to
actuate the plunger and time taken by the plunger to travel from its rest position
towards the defective lamp and make a contact therewith to push it off the conveyor
belt 2.
There is also provided a method of automatically detecting and ejecting defective objects from a conveyor belt. The object according to a preferred embodiment is a lamp mount. A lamp mount usually comprises of a flare, a glass exhaust tube extending from the flare, a pair of lead wires held onto the flare and a filament held on the lead wires and electrically connected thereto. Usually, the final stage of the assembling of the lamp mount involves mounting of a filament on the

lead wires and coating it with a chemical called emitter. This is normally done in a specialized device arranged appropriately over the conveyor belt. The lamp mount without the filament enters the device wherein the mounting of the filament and coating thereof is carried out. As soon as the lamp mount comes out of the device, the first step in the method involves capturing an image of the lamp mount by means of an image sensor camera placed appropriately around the conveyor belt at the output end of the device. As such any image sensor camera capable of object recognition and which can be interfaced with another device such as a processor can be used and not described herein in detail. It may be noted here that there may be such multiple image sensor cameras placed appropriately at the output end of the device to .capture the image of the lamp mount at preferred pre-determined angles. Each image captured by the image sensor camera is such that at least one pre-determined parameter of the lamp mount to be inspected is captured in that image. However, if only one image sensor camera is used, it is placed in such a way that all pre-determined parameters to be inspected are captured in the image. Alternatively, the image sensor camera may be configured/adapted to take multiple images of the same object. In respect of the aforementioned preferred embodiment, one image sensor camera configured to take one image of the filament of the lamp mount is placed appropriately to capture predetermined parameters of the filament. The parameters usually pre-determined to be inspected in respect of the filament are: number of filament(s) placed on the lead wires (usually one), proper mounting of the filament on the lead and coating on the filament. However, there may be other parameters as well. Also, the image sensor camera may be configured to take images of other components of the lamp mount as well to inspect their parameters. In the subsequent step, after capturing an image of a lamp mount on the conveyor belt, it is received by a processing means interfaced with

the image sensor camera. The connection/interfacing of the image sensor camera may be through wires or wirelessly. Usually, the processing means is a microprocessor configured with below mentioned capabilities. A reference image of the filament is stored in the processor wherein all the parameters of the filament captured in the reference image are acceptable. For example, in the reference image, only one filament is placed on the lead wires, no end of the filament is hanging and the filament is coated acceptably. After the image of a lamp mount on the conveyor belt is received by the microprocessor, the microprocessor compares each pre-determined parameter of the filament captured in the received image with the corresponding parameter captured in the reference image. A comparison score is outputted consequently by the microprocessor which is indicative of the lamp mount (of whose image is compared) being defective or acceptable. For example, if the received image has two filaments instead of one, the reference and received images will not match. Similarly, if one end of the filament is hanging or there is no coating on the filament, there will be a mismatch in the received and reference images. Thus, a comparison score will be outputted which will be indicative of the lamp mount being defective. The microprocessor may be pre-programmed to take into account certain acceptable tolerance in the parameters of the filament. Usually, the comparison score is a 1 (one) or 0 (zero) wherein 1 being indicative of the lamp mount being acceptable and 0 being the lamp mount being defective. As such, any know comparison modules may be used by the microprocessor for comparison. For example, the comparison module may involve superimposition of the received image on the reference image for comparisons. Subsequently, the microprocessor is pre-programmed to generate and transmit a control signal to an ejection means connected therewith upon determination of a comparison as 0 (zero) i.e. indicative of a lamp mount on the conveyor belt being

defective. The ejection means upon receiving the control signal pushes off or dislodges the lamp mount in respect of which the control signal is generated from the conveyor belt. According to a preferred embodiment, the control signal is transmitted only after a pre-determined time interval from the time the image in respect of which the control signal is generated was captured. The time interval is equivalent to the time taken by the lamp mount to travel on the conveyor belt from the position at which its image was taken by the image sensor camera to the position at which the ejection means is configured to hit it for ejecting it from the conveyor belt. Also, upon determination of a comparison score as zero (0), any further comparisons scheduled to be performed by the microprocessor is cancelled. If the comparison score is determined to be 1 (one) i.e. indicative of a lamp mount on the conveyor belt being acceptable, no such control signal is generated. Thus, all acceptable lamp mounts are allowed to pass beyond the ejection means whereas all defective lamp mounts are dislodged off the conveyor belt. The ejection means according to a preferred embodiment is a solenoid or any electro pneumatic actuator connected to the microprocessor at its input end and to a plunger at its output end. The plunger is placed in such a manner adjacent to the conveyor belt that upon receiving the control signal by the solenoid from the microprocessor, it is actuated by the solenoid to push a lamp mount off the conveyor belt. The positioning of the plunger adjacent to the conveyor belt is dependent on the factors such as positioning of the image sensor camera, speed of the conveyor belt, time taken by the microprocessor to receive and compare the image, output a comparison score, generate and transmit a control signal to the solenoid, time taken by the solenoid to actuate the plunger and time taken by the plunger to travel from its rest position towards the defective lamp and make a contact therewith to push it off the conveyor belt.

According to the invention, there is provided an automated system and a method for detecting and ejecting a defective lamp mount from the conveyor belt which requires no human intervention. According to the invention, the speed and accuracy in detecting defective lamp mount is improved considerably vis-a-vis the speed and accuracy achieved through manual inspection.
Although the invention has been described with reference to a specific embodiment, this description is not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiment, as well as alternate embodiments of the invention, will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description of the invention. It is therefore contemplated that such modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:
1. An automated system for detecting and ejecting a defective object from a conveyor belt, the system comprising
a. at least one image sensor camera each adapted to capture at least one
image of each object being carried on the conveyor belt;
b. a Processing means interfaced with the image sensor camera for
receiving said images therefrom, the processing means pre
programmed to compare at least one pre-defined parameter of the
object captured in each received image with a corresponding reference
Parameter captured in pre-stored reference image within the processing
means; determine a comparison score based on said comparison, the
comparison score being indicative of the corresponding object on the
conveyor belt being acceptable or defective; wherein upon a object
being detected to be defective based on said comparison score, a
control signal being generated and transmitted by the processing means
to an ejection means interfaced therewith for actuating the ejection
means to eject said defective object from the conveyor belt.
2. The system. as claimed in claim 1, wherein the object is a lamp mount comprising a flare, a giass exhaust tube, a pair of lead wires and a filament held on the lead wires and electrically connected thereto.
3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein parameters of the lamp mount such as coating on the filament of the lamp, improper mounting of the filament on the lead wires of the lamp, number of filaments being mounted on the lead wires of the iamp are compared with corresponding reference parameters in a pre-stored reference image.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing means is a
microprocessor interfaced with the image sensor camera through wires or
wirelessly.
5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing means is pre
programmed to transmit said control signal to the ejection means only after a
pre-determined time interval from time the corresponding image in respect of
which the control signal being generated was captured.
6. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein said time interval is equivalent to the time taken by the object to travel on the conveyor belt from the position at which its image was taken by the image sensor camera to the position at which the ejection means is configured to hit the object for ejecting thereof from the conveyor belt.
7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ejection means is a solenoid or any electro pneumatic actuator connected to the processing means at its input end and to a plunger at its output end such that the plunger is adapted to hit an object on the conveyor belt upon actuation by the solenoid connected thereto, the solenoid being configured to receive the control signal from the processing means.
8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing means being preprogrammed to cancel any further comparisons of the received image upon a determining a comparison score which being indicative of an object on the conveyor belt defective.
9. A method of automatically detecting and ejecting defective objects from a conveyor belt, the method comprising the steps of:

• capturing at least one image of each object being carried on the conveyor belt by means of an image sensor camera;
• receiving each image from the image sensor camera by a processing means;
• comparing within the processing means at least one pre-defined parameter of the object captured in each said image of each object with a corresponding reference parameter captured in pre-stored reference image in the processing means;
• determining a comparison score within the processing means based on said comparison, the comparison score being indicative of the corresponding object on the conveyor belt being acceptable or defective;
• generating and transmitting a control signal by the processing means to an ejection means upon a object being detected to be defective based on said comparison score;
• ejecting the defective object from the conveyor belt by the ejection means upon receiving the control signal from the processing means.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the object is a lamp mount comprising a flare, a glass exhaust tube, a pair of lead wires and a filament held on the lead wires and electrically connected thereto.
11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein parameters of the lamp mount to be compared being coating on the filament of the lamp, improper mounting of the filament on the lead wires of the lamp, number of filaments being mounted on the lead wires of the lamp.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the images captured from the
image sensor camera are transmitted to the processing means through wires or
wirelessly.
13. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the control signal is transmitted to
the ejection means through wires or wirelessly only after a pre-determined
time interval from the time the corresponding image in respect of which the
control signal is generated was captured.
14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the time interval is equivalent to the time taken by the object to travel on the conveyor belt from the position at which its image was taken by the image camera sensor to the position at which the ejection means is configured to hit the object for ejecting thereof from the conveyor belt.
15. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein no further comparisons are performed after the determination of a comparison score indicative of an object on the conveyor belt being defective.