Creating Machine Vision Inspections Using a State Diagram Representation

• US 20070168943A1
• Filed: 10/18/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Vazquez, Nicolas, Marini, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 7,864,178 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/108
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

A machine vision development environment that may utilize a control flow representation (preferably a state diagram representation) to specify and execute machine vision routines (e.g., sometimes referred to as inspection routines). A user may first create one or more machine vision routines using any of various methods. The user may then graphically specify a sequence of machine vision steps or operations, e.g., a machine vision inspection, using a state diagram representation. The state diagram representation may comprise a plurality of icons which represent states with corresponding operations or functions, such as, for example, Load Inspection, Part Ready, Run Inspection, Read Digital Input, etc. The various icons may be connected by wires that indicate control flow transitions, e.g., state transitions, among the states. The state diagram may then be executed to control the machine vision routines.

Claims

1. A method for creating a machine vision program, the method comprising:

displaying a first plurality of icons on a display in response to first user input, wherein the first plurality of icons represents states of the machine vision program;

associating machine vision steps with each of the first plurality of icons in response to second user input;

displaying a plurality of lines connecting various ones of the first plurality of icons in response to third user input, wherein the plurality of lines represent state transitions between various ones of the first plurality of icons based on user specified conditions;

wherein said displaying the plurality of icons, associating the machine vision steps, and displaying the plurality of lines graphically specifies the machine vision program.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a second plurality of icons which correspond to a plurality of possible machine vision steps, wherein the second user input graphically associates one or more of the second plurality of icons with one or more of the first plurality of icons.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the first plurality of icons represent one or more additional diagrams.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more additional diagrams include a state diagram, wherein the state diagram specifies additional states and transitions corresponding to the one or more of the first plurality of icons.

5. The method of claim 3, when the one or more additional diagrams specify a machine vision or inspection routine.

6. The method and claim 1, wherein the first plurality of icons in the first plurality of lines compose a first state diagram, wherein the first state diagram specifies a single inspection cycle, and wherein the method further comprises:

placing the first state diagram in a graphical program, wherein the graphical program provides for iterative execution of the first state diagram.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the graphical program is a data flow graphical program.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of icons in the first plurality of lines compose a first state diagram, wherein the first state diagram specifies a single inspection cycle, and wherein the method further comprises:

placing the first state diagram in a second state diagram, wherein the second state diagram provides for iterative execution of the first state diagram.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-defined conditions comprise one or more of:

whether an object under inspection is detected;

dimension of the object under inspection;

color of the object under inspection;

intensity of the object under inspection;

text of the object under inspection;

barcode of the object under inspection;

location of the object under inspection;

or passing inspection.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing the machine vision program, wherein, during execution, the machine vision program performs the machine vision steps based on the user specified conditions.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said executing machine vision program comprises executing the machine vision steps for each state transition from the state to a next state.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein during execution of the machine vision program, transitions between states are not executed until the user-defined conditions are met.

13. A computer-accessible memory medium for creating a machine vision program, the memory medium comprising program instructions executable by a processor to:

display a first plurality of icons on a display in response to first user input, wherein the first plurality of icons represents states of the machine vision program;

associate machine vision steps with each of the first plurality of icons in response to second user input;

display a plurality of lines connecting various ones of the first plurality of icons in response to third user input, wherein the plurality of lines represent state transitions between various ones of the first plurality of icons based on user specified conditions;

wherein displaying the plurality of icons, associating the machine vision steps, and displaying the plurality of lines graphically specifies the machine vision program.

14. The memory medium of claim 13, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

display a second plurality of icons which correspond to a plurality of possible machine vision steps, wherein the second user input graphically associates one or more of the second plurality of icons with one or more of the first plurality of icons.

15. The memory medium of claim 13, wherein one or more of the first plurality of icons represents one or more additional diagrams.

16. The memory medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more additional diagrams include a state diagram, wherein the state diagram specifies additional states and transitions corresponding to the one or more of the first plurality of icons.

17. The memory medium of claim 13, wherein the user-defined conditions comprise one or more of:

whether an object under inspection is detected;

location of the object under inspection;

or

passing inspection.

18. The memory medium and claim 13, wherein the first plurality of icons in the first plurality of lines compose a first state diagram, wherein the first state diagram specifies a single inspection cycle, and wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

place the first state diagram in a graphical program, wherein the graphical program provides for iterative execution of the first state diagram.

19. The memory medium of claim 18, wherein the graphical program is a data flow graphical program.

20. The memory medium of claim 13, wherein the first plurality of icons in the first plurality of lines compose a first state diagram, wherein the first state diagram specifies a single inspection cycle, and wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

place the first state diagram in a second state diagram, wherein the second state diagram provides for iterative execution of the first state diagram.

21. The memory medium of claim 13, wherein the user-defined conditions comprise one or more of:

whether an object under inspection is detected;

dimension of the object under inspection;

color of the object under inspection;

intensity of the object under inspection;

text of the object under inspection;

barcode of the object under inspection;

location of the object under inspection;

or passing inspection.

22. The memory medium of claim 13, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

execute the machine vision program, wherein, during execution, the machine vision program performs the machine vision steps based on the user specified conditions.

23. The memory medium of claim 22, wherein in executing the machine vision program, the program instructions are executable to:

execute the machine vision steps for each state transition from the state to a next state.

24. The memory medium of claim 22, wherein during execution of the machine vision program, transitions between states are not executed until the user-defined conditions are met.

25. A method for creating a machine vision program, the method comprising:

displaying a state diagram representation of the machine vision program on a display in response to user input, wherein said displaying comprises;

displaying a plurality of icons representing machine vision functions;

displaying a plurality of lines connecting various ones of the plurality of icons, wherein the plurality of lines represent flow of control between the machine vision functions.