US Patent 8229204 Optical processing of surfaces to determine cleanliness

Techniques are described for determining cleanliness of various surfaces by processing images of the surfaces. The surfaces may comprise, for example, drinking glasses, dishes, fabric swatch arrays, Tosi plates, ceramic tiles, or stainless steel coupons. In one example, a system includes a camera to capture a digital image of a surface, a light source to illuminate the surface, a housing to enclose the surface, the camera, and the light source in a light-tight environment, and an analysis computer to receive the digital image, calculate a luminosity value for the surface from the digital image, and determine a cleanliness value for the surface from the calculated luminosity value. The analysis computer may automatically configure an environment in which to capture the digital image such that the environment is suited for the particular surface to be analyzed. The analysis computer may also cause the camera to automatically capture the digital image.