VISION SENSORS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS

• US 20090141987A1
• Filed: 07/31/2008
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cognex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cognex Corporation
• Inventors: N. Plummer, A. Piers, McGarry, E. John
• Granted Patent: US 9,451,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/218
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/7515 Shifting the patterns to accommodate for positional errors
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/955 using specific electronic processors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/78 Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters

Abstract

A single chip vision sensor of an embodiment includes a pixel array and one or more circuits. The one or more circuits are configured to search an image for one or more features using a model of the one or more features. A method of an embodiment in a single chip vision sensor includes obtaining an image based at least partially on sensed light, and searching the image for one or more features using a model of the one or more features. A system of an embodiment includes the single chip vision sensor and a device. The device is configured to receive one or more signals from the single chip vision sensor and to control an operation based at least partially on the one or more signals.

Claims

1. A single chip vision sensor, comprising:

a pixel array; and

one or more circuits configured to search an image for one or more features using a model of the one or more features.

2. The single chip vision sensor of claim 1,

said one or more circuits configured to process one or more signals provided from the pixel array to generate said image.

3. The single chip vision sensor of claim 1,

said model including a plurality of model instructions that each include a corresponding coordinate with respect to a model reference point.

4. The single chip vision sensor of claim 1,

said one or more circuits configured to record one or more poses of the model relative to the image that result in at least a partial match between the model and the image.

5. The single chip vision sensor of claim 1,

said one or more circuits configured to transform one or more coordinates of the model in accordance with one or more affine transform values.

6. The single chip vision sensor of claim 1,

said one or more circuits configured to compare the model, after transforming one or more coordinates of the model, with the image for each of a plurality of positionings of the model relative to the image concurrently.

7. The single chip vision sensor of claim 6,

said plurality of positionings including positionings of a reference point of the model at a plurality of locations in a row of the image.

8. The single chip vision sensor of claim 1,

said one or more circuits comprising an image address processor configured to transform coordinates of the model into transformed coordinates based at least partially on one or more transform values.

9. The single chip vision sensor of claim 8,

said one or more circuits further comprising a plurality of image memory devices for storing image data of the image and for outputting data concurrently with each other in a case where the plurality of image memory devices are accessed using at least one of said transformed coordinates.

10. The single chip vision sensor of claim 8,

said one or more circuits further comprising an image data selector configured to receive data of the image and to shift the data by an amount that is based on at least one of said transformed coordinates.

11. The single chip vision sensor of claim 1,

said one or more circuits comprising a plurality of comparators for comparing, concurrently with each other, one or more corresponding values obtained based on data of the image with one or more values of the model.

12. The single chip vision sensor of claim 11,

said one or more circuits further comprising a plurality of accumulators, each accumulator of the plurality of accumulators configured to receive an accumulation increment of the model and to selectively perform accumulation to accumulate the accumulation increment based on an output of a corresponding comparator of the plurality of comparators.

13. The single chip vision sensor of claim 12,

said one or more circuits further comprising a model data shifter for shifting the one or more values and the accumulation increment of the model within the model data shifter and for providing the one or more values to the plurality of comparators and the accumulation increment to the plurality of accumulators.

14. The single chip vision sensor of claim 1,

said one or more circuits comprising a priority encoder for indicating positionings of the model in accordance with a binary tag word that is formed based on results of comparisons of the model, after one or more coordinates of the model have been transformed, with the image.

15. A method in a single chip vision sensor, comprising:

obtaining an image based at least partially on sensed light; and

searching the image for one or more features using a model of the one or more features.

16. The method of claim 15, said searching comprising:

recording one or more poses of the model relative to the image that result in at least a partial match between the model and the image.

17. The method of claim 15, said searching comprising:

comparing the model, after transforming one or more coordinates of the model, with the image for each of a plurality of positionings of the model relative to the image concurrently.

18. The method of claim 17,

said plurality of positionings including positionings of a reference point of the model at a plurality of locations in a row of the image.

19. The method of claim 15, said searching comprising:

transforming coordinates of the model into transformed coordinates based on one or more transform values.

20. The method of claim 19, said searching further comprising:

causing a plurality of image memory devices to output data concurrently with each other by accessing the plurality of image memory devices using at least one of said transformed coordinates.

21. The method of claim 19, said searching further comprising:

shifting data of the image by an amount that is based on at least one of said transformed coordinates.

22. The method of claim 15, said searching comprising:

causing a plurality of comparators to compare, concurrently with each other, one or more corresponding values obtained based on data of the image with one or more values of the model.

23. The method of claim 22, said searching further comprising:

selectively performing accumulation to accumulate an accumulation increment in an accumulator based on an output of a corresponding comparator of the plurality of comparators.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

outputting information based on a result of said searching.

25. A system, comprising:

a single chip vision sensor configured to obtain an image based at least partially on sensed light and to search the image for one or more features using a model of the one or more features; and

a device for receiving one or more signals from the single chip vision sensor and for controlling an operation based at least partially on the one or more signals.

26. A vision sensor, comprising:

a plurality of image memory devices for storing image data of an image; and

an image address processor configured to transform coordinates into transformed coordinates based at least partially on one or more transform values, and to access the plurality of image memory devices using at least one of the transformed coordinates.

27. The vision sensor of claim 26, further comprising:

an image data selector configured to receive data from the plurality of image memory devices and to shift the data by an amount that is based on at least another one of the transformed coordinates.

28. The vision sensor of claim 27, further comprising:

a plurality of comparators for comparing, concurrently with each other, one or more corresponding values obtained based at least partially on data provided from the image data selector with one or more values.

29. The vision sensor of claim 28, further comprising:

a plurality of accumulators that are each configured to selectively perform accumulation based at least partially on an output of a corresponding comparator of the plurality of comparators.

30. The vision sensor of claim 26,

each of said plurality of image memory devices configured to store data for a corresponding column of the image;

and

said vision sensor further comprising a priority encoder for indicating columns of the image based on bits in a tag.

31. The vision sensor of claim 26, further comprising:

a plurality of arithmetic logic units that are each connected to a corresponding image memory device of the plurality of image memory devices by a corresponding data path.