The seed counting sensor (200) for pneumatic seeding machines comprises a detection chamber (210) within a house (204), said detection chamber allowing the seeds to pass through the sensor and having a center axis (211) extending in the flow direction of the seeds (102); a plurality of light sources (240) arranged within the house (204), outside the detection chamber (210), at predetermined distances from each other, said light sources being in a plane (P) extending substantially perpendicularly to said center axis of the sensor; a plurality of light detectors (250) arranged within the house (204), outside the detection chamber (210) at predetermined distances from each other, said light detectors being in the same plane (P) as the light sources, wherein the number of the light detectors equals to the number of the light sources, and a signal processing unit (502) for controlling operation of the light sources (240) and for processing the electronic signals produced by the light detectors (250).

The present invention relates to systems and methods for monitoring poultry house egg production. The system of the present invention is comprised of the following: a. a conveyor for conveying poultry eggs; b. at least one laser sensor directed in direction of said conveyor for measuring distance of said conveyor's surface and poultry eggs conveyed thereupon; c. a computer coupled with said at least one lase sensor; wherein, number of poultry eggs passed through said conveyor at a given moment is determined by identifying and analyzing fluctuations in measured distance from said at least one laser sensor.

The present invention relates to a chip counter, which transmits an X-ray beam through a tape reel around which a tape having a plurality of semiconductor chips mounted in a row therein is wound, acquires an image scattered or diffracted by the semiconductor chips, and processes the acquired image, so as to count the number of the semiconductor chips, wherein: the X-ray beam transmitted through the tape reel (1) is sensed by a fluorescent intensifying screen (60); a fluorescent light emitted from the fluorescent intensifying screen (60) according to the sensing of the X-ray beam is captured by a camera (70), so that the number of the semiconductor chips is counted from an image in which the semiconductor chips are displayed by a dotted image; and the camera (70) is protected by an X-ray beam shielding member (100: 110; 120; and 130).

A device has a latching mechanism including a catch element having at least two catches, and a pawl configured to engage in a catch interstice between two catches. The catch element is movable in relation to the pawl in a freewheeling direction, and a movement of the catch element in relation to the pawl in a blocking direction may be blocked by means of the pawl. The device further includes a deflectable actuator configured to move the catch element and the pawl relative to each other on a catch-by-catch basis in the freewheeling direction by means of deflection. According to the invention, the device also includes an electric component configured to change its electric property as a function of the catch-wise movement of the catch element in relation to the pawl.

A seed dispensing system is provided with a photoelectric sensor for monitoring the dispensing of seeds from a seed dispenser comprising a discharge conveyor with conveyor flights that transport seeds through the seed dispenser. The sensor outputs a signal representative of obstructions to the flow of light in an optical path of the sensor, and a computing unit is adapted to distinguish portions of the output signal that are attributable to the passage of one or more seeds from portions of the output signal that are attributable to the passage of a conveyor flight.

An arrangement of counting passengers in an elevator using two separate counting mechanisms is disclosed. The elevator car typically has a curtain of light arranged to the door and a load weighing device arranged to measure the weight of the elevator car. From the information recorded by the curtain of light and the load weighing device, it is possible to count the number of passengers. The reliability of the counting results can be improved by processing the counting results for forming a combined counting result that provides a more reliable counting result when the independent counts deviate from each other.

Disclosed are image based counting systems and methods. Image based counting systems and methods employ one or more imaging devices (e.g., one or more color cameras) and one or more illumination devices (e.g., one or more illumination sources to provide variable and/or dynamic lighting). In some examples, the image based counting system provides illumination to a tray upon which one or more items (e.g., pills) are placed. The illuminated items are then imaged by the one or more imaging devices based on one or more imaging techniques or processes to determine and/or present information associated with one or more properties of the item.

A seed dispensing system is provided with a photoelectric sensor for monitoring the dispensing of seeds from a seed dispenser comprising a discharge conveyor with conveyor flights that transport seeds through the seed dispenser. The sensor outputs a signal representative of obstructions to the flow of light in an optical path of the sensor, and a computing unit is adapted to distinguish portions of the output signal that are attributable to the passage of one or more seeds from portions of the output signal that are attributable to the passage of a conveyor flight.

A device (1) is described and represented for the determination of the particle size and/or the particle shape and/or optical properties, such as transparency, of particles (2) in a particle stream (3), with a feeding device (4) for the feeding of the particles (2) to a measuring zone (5), wherein the particles (2) flow through the measuring zone (5), with at least one illuminating device (6) for illuminating the measuring zone (5), with at least two camera devices (7, 8), each of which photographs a measurement region (9, 10) of the measuring zone (5) associated with the corresponding camera device (7, 8), wherein a first camera device (7) photographs a first, preferably larger, measurement region (10) with a first, preferably lesser, magnification and a second camera device (8) photographs a second, preferably smaller, measurement region (9) with a second, preferably stronger, magnification, with an imaging optics (11) for imaging the measurement regions (9, 10), and with an evaluating device for determining the particle size and/or the particle shape from the photographs of the measurement regions (9, 10), wherein the imaging optics (11) comprises at least one optical element (14), at which and/or by which the light radiation emanating from the measuring zone (5) is divided into at least two beam portions. According to the invention, it is provided that the illuminating device (6) is designed such that the first measurement region (10) and the second measurement region (9) are always illuminated together, wherein the first measurement region (10) is illuminated with the same intensity as the second measurement region (9).

The invention comprises a system and an optical device (1) to facilitate the counting of objects, e.g. fish and other organisms living in freshwater or sea, especially when using large-scale equipment in fish-fanning. The system makes it possible to diminish the distance between the recording camera and the objects to be counted.