Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and recording medium recording image processing program

• US 20020051561A1
• Filed: 07/09/2001
• Published: 05/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keyence Corporation (Keyence)
• Original Assignee: Keyence Corporation (Keyence)
• Inventors: Inagaki, Daisuke
• Granted Patent: US 6,807,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0002 Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0004 Industrial image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/32 using correlation-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 using feature-based methods

Abstract

A real picked-up image containing an image of a position detection mark 13 is picked up by an image pickup unit 1 and the real picked-up image is stored in image memory 5 through an interface section 2. A pseudo image on which change in an image pickup conditions is reflected is generated from the stored real picked-up image by a CPU 6. When the pseudo image is moved, an image of the object is detected using a predetermined image processing parameter at each move position, and a position detection error of the image of the object relative to the move distance of the pseudo image is calculated.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a capture section for capturing a first image containing an image of an object;

a calculation section;

for processing the captured first image to generate a second image on which change in image pickup conditions relative to the first image is reflected;

for detecting the image of the object contained in the second image using an image processing parameter; and

for calculating a detection error of the image of the object contained in the second image relative to a position difference between the first image and the second image as a second image detection error.

2. The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said calculation section further comprises:

a generation section for processing the captured first image to generate a second image on which change in image pickup conditions relative to the first image is reflected; and

a first error calculation unit for detecting the image of the object contained in the second image using the image processing parameter at each move position when the second image is moved relative to the first image, and for calculating the detection error of the image of the object included in the second image relative to a move distance of the second image as the second image detection error.

3. The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said calculation section further comprises:

a generation section for processing the captured first image while moving the first image within a predetermined range to generate the second image, on which change in image pickup conditions relative to the first image is reflected, at each move position; and

a first error calculation unit for detecting the image of the object contained in the second image at each move position using the image processing parameter, and for calculating the detection error of the image of the object included in the second image relative to each move position as the second image detection error.

4. The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a second error calculation section for detecting the image of the object contained in a third image using the image processing parameter at each move position, when the third image is moved relative to the first image, the third image being one of the first image or an image obtained by copying the first image, and for calculating a detection error of the image of the object contained in the third image relative to a move distance of the third image as the third image detection error.

5. The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a second error calculation section for detecting the image of the object contained in a third image using the image processing parameter at each move position when the third image is moved relative to the first image, the third image being one of the first image or an image obtained by copying the first image, and for calculating a detection error of the image of the object contained in the third image relative to a move distance of the third image as the third image detection error.

6. The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a change section for changing the image processing parameter used in said calculation section on the basis of the second image detection error.

7. The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

a change section for changing the image processing parameter used in said first and second error calculation sections on the basis of the second image detection error and the third image detection error.

8. The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

a change section for changing the image processing parameter used in said first and second error calculation sections on the basis of the second image detection error and the third image detection error.

9. An image processing method comprising:

capturing a first image containing an image of an object;

processing the captured first image to generate a second image on which change in image pickup conditions relative to the first image is reflected;

detecting the image of the object contained in the second image using an image processing parameter; and

calculating a detection error of the image of the object contained in the second image relative to a position difference between the first image and the second image as the second image detection error.

10. The image processing method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said calculation step comprises:

processing the captured first image to generate the second image on which change in image pickup conditions relative to the first image is reflected;

detecting the image of the object contained in the second image using the image processing parameter at each move position when the second image is moved relative to the first image; and

calculating the detection error of the image of the object included in the second image relative to a move distance of the second image as the second image detection error.

11. The image processing method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said calculation step further comprises:

processing the captured first image while moving the first image within a predetermined range to generate the second image, on which change in image pickup conditions relative to the first image is reflected, at each move position;

detecting the image of the object contained in the second image at each move position using the image processing parameter; and

calculating the detection error of the image of the object included in the second image relative to each move position as the second image detection error.

12. The image processing method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

detecting the image of the object contained in a third image using the image processing parameter at each move position when the third image is moved in an order relative to the first image, the third image being one of the first image or an image obtained by copying the first image; and

calculating a detection error of the image of the object contained in the third image relative to a move distance of the third image as the third image detection error.

13. The image processing method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

detecting the image of the object contained in a third image using the image processing parameter at each move position when the third image is moved in an order relative to the first image, the third image being one of the first image or an image obtained by copying the first image; and

calculating a detection error of the image of the object contained in the third image relative to a move distance of the third image as a third image detection error.

14. The image processing method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

changing the image processing parameter used in said detection step on the basis of the second image detection error.

15. The image processing method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

changing the image processing parameter used in said detection steps on the basis of the second image detection error and the third image detection error.

16. The image processing method as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

changing the image processing parameter used in said detection steps on the basis of the second image detection error and the third image detection error.

18. The recording medium as claimed in claim 17, wherein the program causes a computer to further execute the steps of:

processing the captured first image to generate the second image on which change in image pickup conditions relative to the first image is reflected;

detecting the image of the object contained in the second image using the image processing parameter at each move position when the second image is moved relative to the first image; and

calculating the detection error of the image of the object included in the second image relative to the move distance of the second image as the second image detection error.

19. The recording medium as claimed in claim 18, wherein the program causes the computer to further execute the steps of:

detecting the image of the object contained in a third image using the image processing parameter at each move position when the third image is moved relative to the first image, the third image being one of the first image or an image obtained by copying the first image; and

calculating a detection error of the image of the object contained in the third image relative to a move distance of the third image as the third image detection error.

20. The recording medium as claimed in claim 19, wherein the program causes the computer to further execute the steps of:

changing the image processing parameter used in said detection steps on the basis of the second image detection error and the third image detection error.

17. A recording medium recording a program for performing image processing, the program causing a computer to execute the following steps:

capturing a first image containing an image of an object;

processing the captured first image to generate a second image on which change in image pickup conditions relative to the first image is reflected;

detecting the image of the object contained in the second image using a image processing parameter; and

calculating a detection error of the image of the object contained in the second image relative to a position difference between the first image and the second image as the second image detection error.

21. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a capture section comprising means for capturing a first image containing an image of an object;

a calculation section comprising means for processing the captured first image to generate a second image on which change in image pickup conditions relative to the first image is reflected; and

means for detecting the image of the object contained in the second image using an image processing parameter; and

means for calculating a detection error of the image of the object contained in the second image relative to a position difference between the first image and the second image as a second image detection error.