Automated product profiling apparatus and product slicing system using the same

1. An apparatus for acquiring a profile of a food product for use in subsequent processing of the food product, comprising:

a scanning area;

one or more product drives for driving a product through the scanning area in a longitudinal direction;

a first vision system for scanning a first surface of the product in the scanning area, the first vision system having at least one first line laser, the first line laser projecting at least one first transverse laser line transversely to the longitudinal direction on the first surface, two first cameras arranged to capture different first transverse image portions of the at least one first transverse laser line, the two first cameras capturing overlapping images, and a reference laser projecting a beam on the first surface that indicates a transverse reference position, the two first cameras capturing the reference position along with the different first transverse image portions; and

a control system for processing the different first transverse image portions, the control system uses the transverse reference position to combine the different first transverse image portions captured by the two first cameras to eliminate overlap in the different first transverse image portions, and to calculate a first profile of the first surface at multiple positions along a length of the first surface as the product is driven through the scanning area.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first line laser comprises a pair of first line lasers that project overlapping first laser lines onto the first surface, creating the first transverse laser line.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein at least one first line laser comprises at least one side line laser that projects a side laser line that overlaps with the first transverse laser line.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first vision system further comprises at least one side line laser that projects a side laser line that overlaps with the first transverse laser line.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second vision system for scanning a second surface of the product in the scanning area, opposite the first surface, the second vision system having at least one second line laser, the second line laser projecting at least one second transverse laser line transversely to the longitudinal direction on the second surface, at least one second camera arranged to capture a second transverse image portion of the at least one second transverse laser line; and

wherein the control system calculates a second profile of the second surface using the second transverse image portion at multiple positions along a length of the second surface as the product is driven through the scanning area and calculates the area between the first and second profiles at said multiple positions.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the first surface is an upper surface and the two cameras are angled down and inward toward the reference position from opposite transverse sides of the first surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a third camera between the two cameras.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the reference laser projects a reference line in a longitudinal direction on the product and an intersection between the reference line and the first transverse line constitutes the transverse reference position.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a second vision system for scanning a second surface of the product in the scanning area, opposite the first surface, the second vision system having at least one second line laser, the second line laser projecting at least one second transverse laser line transversely to the longitudinal direction on the second surface, at least one second camera arranged to capture a second transverse image portion of the at least one second transverse laser line; and

wherein the at least one first line laser comprises a pair of first line lasers that project overlapping first laser lines onto the first surface, creating the first transverse laser line;

wherein the at least one second line laser comprises a pair of second line lasers that project overlapping second laser lines onto the second surface, creating the second transverse laser line; and

wherein the control system calculates a second profile of the second surface using the second transverse image portion at multiple positions along a length of the second surface as the product is driven through the scanning area and calculates the area between the first and second profiles at said multiple positions.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the first surface is a top surface and the second surface is a bottom surface and wherein the first vision system further comprises at least one side line laser that projects a side laser line that overlaps with the first transverse laser line.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the reference laser projects a reference line in a longitudinal direction on the product and an intersection between the reference line and the first transverse line constitutes the transverse reference position.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the control system calculates a volume of the product.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control system calculates a volume of the product.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 , comprising a weigh scale for calculating the weight of the product and a slicing machine that slices the product at locations based on the volume and the weight of the product.