INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE TO ANY PRIORITY APPLICATIONS

Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic priority claim is identified in the Application Data Sheet as filed with the present application are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 CFR 1.57 and made a part of this specification.

BACKGROUND

When some food products, such as fruit, are harvested, the food product is taken to a packing house with different levels of moisture content, for example, the fruit can be too wet, too dry, or just right for processing. The fruit can be sorted so that it can be properly prepared. For example, a fruit, such as a date, can be sorted into different moisture grades. It can be beneficial to sort fruit by moisture for both selling the fruit at the correct moisture level that meets customer specifications and for determining the amount of hydration or dehydration that the fruit requires during processing. After sorting, the fruit can be hydrated, kept in their current condition, or dried based on their grade so that the fruit will have substantially the same moisture and consistency.

SUMMARY OF EMBODIMENTS

The systems, methods, and devices of this disclosure each have several innovative aspects, no single one of which is solely responsible for the all of the desirable attributes disclosed herein.

In one embodiment, a water detection apparatus for detecting water content in a food product, the apparatus comprising: a conveying mechanism configured to move at least one food product through an aperture in the apparatus; at least one transmitter coil configured to transmit a signal within the aperture, wherein the at least one food product alters the signal; at least one receiver coil configured to receive the altered signal; and a signal processing unit configured to determine at least one output value associated with the at least one food product moving through the aperture based, at least in part, on the signal and the altered signal, wherein the at least one output value corresponds to water content of the at least one food product.

In another embodiment, a method for detecting characteristics of a food product, the method comprising: conveying at least one food product through an aperture in a detection apparatus; transmitting a signal, by at least one transmitter coil, within the aperture; receiving, by at least one receiver coil, a signal altered by the food product; determining at least one output value associated with the at least one food product moving through the aperture based, at least in part, on the signal and the altered signal, wherein the at least one output value corresponds to water content of the at least one food product, and processing the at least one food product based, at least in part, on the at least one output value.

In another embodiment, An apparatus for detecting characteristics in a food product, the apparatus comprising: a conveying mechanism configured to move at least one food product through an aperture in the apparatus; at least one transmitter coil configured to transmit a signal within the aperture, wherein the at least one food product alters the signal; at least one receiver coil configured to receive the altered signal; and a signal processing unit configured to determine at least one output value associated with the at least one food product moving through the aperture based, at least in part, on the signal and the altered signal, wherein the at least one output value corresponds to an metal detection characteristic and a water content characteristic of the at least one food product.

Although certain embodiments and examples are disclosed herein, inventive subject matter extends beyond the examples in the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and/or uses, and to modifications and equivalents thereof.

