Method and apparatus for determining features of hot surface

• US 10,386,309 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2015
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sapotech Oy
• Original Assignee: Sapotech Oy
• Inventors: Kaukonen, Saku, Roininen, Juha
• Primary Examiner(s): Senfi, Behrooz M
• Application Number:
  US15/579,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20180143142A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: 348 38
• CPC Class Codes: B21B 38/00 Methods or devices for measuring, detecting or monitoring specially adapted for metal-rolling mills, e.g. position detection, inspection of the product control devices or methods B21B37/00
• CPC Class Codes: B21B 38/02 for measuring flatness or profile of strips
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/303 using photoelectric detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/8918 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8901 Optical details; Scanning details per se G02B
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8914 characterised by the material examined
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/04 with cameras or projectors providing touching or overlapping fields of view
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/32 involving image mosaicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30136 Metal
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4038 Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0008 checking presence/absence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

An arrangement for photographing a hot surface includes a camera arranged to take a number of successive images of the surface, whereby each image includes a part of the surface to be photographed. A light source is arranged to illuminate the surface to be photographed, whereby the camera and the light source are synchronized in such a way that the light source illuminates the surface at the shooting moment of each image, and an image-processing unit is arranged to combine a complete image of the whole surface to be photographed out of the successive images taken by the camera. A server is arranged to determine a coordinate system for the complete image, to receive data on the surface generated by one or more measuring devices, and to combine the received data with the complete image.

Claims

1. An arrangement for determining features of a hot surface, the arrangement comprising:

a light source;

a camera;

a control unit for the camera and light source;

an image-processing unit;

a server, wherein

the camera is arranged, controlled by the control unit, to take a number of successive images of the surface to be photographed, whereby each image comprises a part of the surface to be photographed, the camera and the surface to be photographed being arranged to move relative to each other such that each image comprises a part of the surface part shown in the preceding and the following image,

the light source is arranged, controlled by the control unit, to illuminate the surface to be photographed from the side direction relative to the camera, whereby the camera and the light source are synchronized in such a way that the light source illuminates the surface at the moment of shooting the image or for part of the moment of shooting the image,

the image-processing unit is arranged to combine a complete image of the whole surface to be photographed out of the successive images taken by the camera,

the server is arranged to determine a coordinate system for the complete image, to receive data on the surface to be photographed, generated by one or more measuring devices, to combine the received data with the coordinates of the complete image, and to display the received data together with the complete image or a part of the complete image; and

means for taking images of the surface after the surface has been processed in later stages of manufacturing process, wherein the server is configured to adjust the coordinate systems between the images taken at different stages to be comparable if the dimensions of the surface have changed.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the camera is arranged to take images with an exposure time of less than 100 microseconds.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the motion between the camera and the surface to be photographed as well as the shooting moments of the camera in such a way that the successive images are partly overlapping.

4. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is integrated into the camera.

5. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the surface to be photographed is arranged to move past the camera that is fixedly mounted.

6. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the camera is arranged to move relative to the surface.

7. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the server is arranged to receive image files generated by one or more measuring devices.

8. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the server is arranged to receive temperature data generated by one or more measuring devices.

9. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the received data is in a scale different from that of the complete image, and the server is arranged to scale the received data for the coordinate system of the complete image.

10. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the camera and the light source are arranged to move into the inside of a hollow object step by step, and that the camera is arranged to take a 360-degree image of the inner surface of the object.

11. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the camera and the light source are positioned in such a way relative to each other that the camera detects the light reflected from the surface to be photographed and originating from the light source.

12. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the image-processing unit is arranged to analyse surface features in the complete image of the surface to be photographed.

13. A method for determining features of a hot surface, the method comprising

controlling a camera to take a number of successive images of the surface to be photographed, whereby each image comprises a part of the surface to be photographed, the camera and the surface to be photographed being arranged to move relative to each other such that each image comprises a part of the surface part shown in the preceding and the following image;

controlling a light source to illuminate the surface to be photographed from the side direction relative to the camera, whereby the camera and the light source are synchronized in such a way that the light source illuminates the surface at the moment of shooting the image or for part of the moment of shooting the image;

combining a complete image of the whole surface to be photographed out of the successive images taken by the camera, determining a coordinate system for the complete image;

receiving data on the surface to be photographed, generated by one or more measuring devices, combining the received data with the coordinates of the complete image, and displaying the received data together with the complete image or a part of the complete image; and

taking images of the surface after the surface has been processed in later stages of manufacturing process, and adjusting the coordinate systems between the images taken at different stages to be comparable if the dimensions of the surface have changed.

14. A device for determining features of a hot surface, the device comprising:

means for controlling a camera to take a number of successive images of the surface to be photographed, whereby each image comprises a part of the surface to be photographed, the camera and the surface to be photographed being arranged to move relative to each other such that each image comprises a part of the surface part shown in the preceding and the following image;

means for controlling a light source to illuminate the surface to be photographed from the side direction relative to the camera, whereby the camera and the light source are synchronized in such a way that the light source illuminates the surface at the moment of shooting the image or for part of the moment of shooting the image;

means for combining a complete image of the whole surface to be photographed out of the successive images taken by the camera, determining a coordinate system for the complete image;

means for receiving data on the surface to be photographed, generated by one or more measuring devices;

means for combining the received data with the coordinates of the complete image;

means for displaying the received data together with the complete image or a part of the complete image;

means for taking images of the surface after the surface has been processed in later stages of manufacturing process; and

means for adjusting the coordinate systems between the images taken at different stages to be comparable if the dimensions of the surface have changed.