Embedded imaging and control system

• US 20060088196A1
• Filed: 10/25/2004
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parata Systems, LLC (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Parata Systems, LLC (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Popovich, Joseph Jr., Volkar, John, Remls, Steven J., Toole, William
• Granted Patent: US 8,121,392 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30164 Workpiece; Machine component
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/001 using an image reference approach
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/66 Trinkets, e.g. shirt buttons or jewellery items recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69

Abstract

A stand alone imaging system is disclosed that captures undistorted, high resolution, stop-action images of objects (e.g., medicine pills) moving at automation speeds, processes the images in real time, and then performs real-time I/O based control that is a function of the image processing results. The imaging system has a form factor that enables it to be embedded inside a product (e.g., a pill dispenser). The imaging system also has a flexible I/O system so that a variety of different applications can be handled by changing only the programming and the external hardware connected to the device in which the imaging system is embedded. In the case of pill dispensing and quality control, a miniature, low cost imaging system can be embedded in a pill dispenser to obtain a pill image and then process the image in real time as the pill moves through a counting system. The embedded imaging system processes the images fast enough and with sufficient quality and resolution so as to command a pill counting mechanism to dispense or reject the pill based on the image processing results. Images of the pills can also be sent to a remote location or an archive. The embedded imaging system has sufficient processing power and I/O to control the entire pill counting mechanism. Lighting may be provided by a separate solid state lighting source which may be controlled by the embedded imaging system'"'"'s camera or operated independently. Because of the rules governing abstracts, this abstract should not be used to construe the claims.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first unit including;

one or more controllable hardware parts; and

a sensor system embedded within said first unit and configured to perform the following in real-time;

producing images of a field in the vicinity of said first unit,

processing said images to extract image-related information for each image, and

controlling the operation of said one or more hardware parts based on said extracted image-related information.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second unit electrically connected to said first unit and in communication with said sensor system, wherein said sensor system is configured to send one or more of said images to said second unit and said second unit is configured to store therein said images received from said sensor system.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory for storing at least one image of an item and a pre-stored image of said item.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said processing includes:

comparing said at least one image of said item to said pre-stored image of said item; and

determining an item-related attribute of said item based on the image comparison.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said comparing includes:

extracting image-related information from said at least one image of said item, thereby generating a first set of item-related information;

obtaining image-related information from said pre-stored image of said item, thereby generating a second set of item-related information; and

comparing said first and said second sets of item-related information.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein said item-related attribute includes at least one of the following:

quality of said item;

structural integrity of said item;

location of said item;

identity of said item; and

closeness of said item to at least one of an object or a location represented by said pre-stored image.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor system includes:

a camera to produce images of said field; and

a user-configurable processing unit in communication with said camera to process said images and to control operation of said one or more hardware parts.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said sensor system further includes at least one of the following:

a lighting unit coupled to said processing unit and configured to provide illumination of said field, wherein at least one of intensity of light emitted by said lighting unit or a duration of said illumination by said lighting unit is controlled by said processing unit; and

a power source for providing electrical energy to said first unit on an as-needed basis.

9. A system comprising:

a first unit including;

one or more controllable hardware parts; and

a camera-based vision system embedded within said first unit and configured to perform the following;

operating a camera in said vision system to produce images of a visual field in the vicinity of said first unit,

processing said images in real-time to extract image-related information for each image, and

controlling operation of said one or more hardware parts in real-time based on said extracted image-related information.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a second unit electrically connected to said first unit and in communication with said vision system, wherein said vision system is configured to send one or more of said images to said second unit and said second unit is configured to store therein said images received from said vision system.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a memory for storing said at least one image of a medical item as well as a pre-stored image of said medical item.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said processing includes:

comparing said at least one image to said pre-stored image of said medical item; and

determining an item-related attribute of said medical item based on the image comparison.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said comparing includes:

extracting image-related information from said at least one image of said medical item, thereby generating a first set of item-related information;

extracting image-related information from said pre-stored image of said medical item, thereby generating a second set of item-related information; and

comparing said first and said second sets of item-related information.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said item-related attribute includes at least one of the following:

quality of said medical item;

structural integrity of said medical item;

identity of said medical item;

closeness of said medical item to an object represented by said pre-stored image;

size of said medical item;

shape of said medical item;

relative location of said medical item; and

color of said medical item.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein said vision system is configured to cause one or more of said hardware parts to discard said medical item when determination of said item-related attribute is outside a predetermined range of parameters.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said vision system counts each non-discarded medical item.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein said vision system is configured to cause one or more of said hardware parts to sort a plurality of medical items based on a determination of whether said item-related attribute corresponding to each of said plurality of medical items is within a predetermined range of parameters.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said vision system keeps track of the number of sorted medical items.

19. The system of claim 9, wherein said vision system includes:

a programmable image processor in communication with said camera to process said images; and

a user-configurable I/O controller in communication with said image processor to control operation of said one or more hardware parts based on processing of said images by said image processor.

20. The system of claim 9, wherein said vision system includes the following:

an image processing unit;

a lighting unit coupled to said image processing unit and configured to provide illumination of said visual field, wherein at least one of intensity of light emitted by said lighting unit or a duration of said illumination by said lighting unit is controlled by said image processing unit; and

an energy storage device for providing electrical energy to said first unit on an as-needed basis.

21. A method comprising performing the following using an embedded imaging system:

taking a picture of an item;

comparing said picture with a pre-stored image of said item in real-time; and

determining quality of said item based on said comparison.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

discarding said item in response to said determining when said quality of said item is below a minimum quality.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said taking includes operating a camera embedded in a unit configured to transport said item to take a picture of said item when said item is in a field of view of said camera.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

printing said picture of said item; and

supplying said printed picture along with said item.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein said comparing includes:

extracting a first set of item-related information from said picture;

obtaining a second set of item-related information from a storage device; and

comparing said first and said second sets of item-related information.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising counting in real-time each said item whose quality is determined to be satisfactory.

27. The method of claim 21, further comprising performing one of the following using said embedded imaging system:

controlling a device to count and transport to a first destination each said item whose quality is determined to be satisfactory; and

controlling said device to transport each said item to a second destination for disposal when the quality of said item is determined to be unsatisfactory.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein said taking includes illuminating said item.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said illuminating includes adjusting an intensity of an artificial light.

30. The method of claim 21, further comprising providing a supplemental source of electrical energy to supply additional electrical energy on an as-needed basis during said taking of said picture of said item.

31. The method of claim 21, wherein said determining includes judging closeness between said picture of said item and said pre-stored image of said item based on said comparing in real-time.

32. A method comprising:

producing a picture of an item with a camera embedded in a unit when said item is being transported by said unit;

comparing in real-time said picture with a pre-stored image of said item; and

operating one or more hardware parts in said unit in real-time in response to said comparison.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising determining quality of said item based on said comparison.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

controlling one or more of said hardware parts to discard said item when the quality is determined to be unsatisfactory; and

maintaining a count of each non-discarded item.

35. The method of claim 32, further comprising illuminating said item.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein said illuminating includes adjusting an intensity of a light.

37. The method of claim 32, further comprising providing a supplemental source of electrical energy to supply additional electrical energy on an as-needed basis during said taking of said picture of said item.

38. The method of claim 32, wherein said comparing includes:

determining at least one item-related attribute of said item from said picture of said item;

obtaining a pre-stored attribute from said pre-stored image of said item; and

judging closeness between said at least one item-related attribute and said pre-stored attribute.