Machine vision-based sorter verification
First Claim
1. A machine vision system for detecting the presence of objects on a moving tray door at an inspection station of a sorter machine, said system comprising:
- at least one illumination subsystem including a structured laser line source configured to illuminate said tray door with a plurality of laser lines as said tray door is conveyed past a field of view at said inspection station on said sorter machine;
at least one camera positioned to capture at least one image of said tray door as said tray door is illuminated within said field of view; and
at least one machine vision computer programmed to detect the presence of at least one object on the tray door by detecting and counting a number of laser lines appearing in an image of said tray door captured by said at least one camera.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for detecting objects in a tray door of an automatic sorter machine. The system includes at least one machine vision camera, at least one illumination subsystem and at least one machine vision computer. The illumination subsystem is configured to illuminate a tray door, e.g., using a plurality of lines, as it is conveyed past at least one field of view at an inspection station within the sorter machine. Each camera is positioned to capture one or more images of the tray doors while in the field of view. Each computer is programmed to detect the presence of objects by detecting and counting the number of lines appearing in the captured image(s). If the number of lines are less than an expected number, are shorter than an expected length, or appear to be bent, an object detection condition is asserted.
21 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A machine vision system for detecting the presence of objects on a moving tray door at an inspection station of a sorter machine, said system comprising:
-
at least one illumination subsystem including a structured laser line source configured to illuminate said tray door with a plurality of laser lines as said tray door is conveyed past a field of view at said inspection station on said sorter machine;
at least one camera positioned to capture at least one image of said tray door as said tray door is illuminated within said field of view; and
at least one machine vision computer programmed to detect the presence of at least one object on the tray door by detecting and counting a number of laser lines appearing in an image of said tray door captured by said at least one camera. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A method of detecting the presence of an object on a tray door being conveyed through a field of view of an inspection station, said method comprising:
-
illuminating one tray door with a plurality of lines as said tray door passes through said field of view;
capturing at least one image of said tray door while said tray door is illuminated within said field of view;
counting a number of lines appearing in said at least one captured image;
comparing said number of lines counted in said at least one captured image with an expected number of lines; and
asserting an object detected condition if said number of lines counted differs from said expected number of lines. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
15. A method of detecting the presence of an object on a tray door being conveyed through a field of view of an inspection station, said method comprising:
-
illuminating one tray door with a plurality of laser lines as said tray door passes through said field of view;
pulsing said laser lines with a variable duration signal;
capturing at least one image of said tray door while said tray door is illuminated within said field of view;
counting a number of lines appearing in said at least one captured image;
comparing said number of lines counted in said at least one captured image with an expected number of lines; and
asserting an object detected condition if said number of lines counted differs from said expected number of lines.
-
Specification