Inspection of container finish

• US 4,958,223 A
• Filed: 12/11/1989
• Issued: 09/18/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Owens-Brockway Glass Container Incorporated (O-I Glass, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Owens-Brockway Glass Container Incorporated (O-I Glass, Inc.)
• Inventors: Redmond, Robert C., Juvinall, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Application Number:
  US07/448,531
• Time in Patent Office: 281 Days
• Field of Search: 358/93, 358/101, 358/106, 358/107, 358/213, 358/29, 382/8, 250/223 B
• US Class Current: 348/127
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9054 Inspection of sealing surface and container finish

Abstract

Apparatus for inspecting the finish of a container as the container is held and rotated about its central axis. A light source is positioned to direct diffused light energy onto the container finish, and a camera is positioned across the axis of the container from the light source. The camera comprises multiple arrays of light sensitive elements positioned with respect to the camera focusing elements on a common optical plane opposed to the light source to receive non-overlapping images of the container finish spaced from each other laterally of the container axis. Information processing electronics are coupled to the camera arrays for indicating optical characteristics of the container finish as differing functions of light intensity incident on the elements of each array. In the various disclosed embodiments of the invention, the arrays comprise one or more linear or matrix arrays for receiving non-overlapping images of the container finish at preselected orientation with respect to each other for detecting structural commercial variations and/or geometric parameters of the container finish.

Claims

1. A high-speed computer-controlled camera system comprising:

a camera including an image array sensor containing a matrix of CCD image sensing elements arranged in a row-and-column array, a plurality of first transport registers each connected in sequence to sensing elements in one of said rows and responsive to first clock signals for loading information for associated said elements, a second transport register connected to said first transport registers in sequence for receiving image information therefrom, said first transport registers being collectively responsive to second clock signals for loading information into said second transport register corresponding to each column of said image sensing elements in sequence, output means for receiving said information from said second transport register, said second transport register being responsive to third clock signals for transmitting information in sequence to said output means, said output means being responsive to fourth clock signals for providing a video output signal from said sensor, and

image processing means including input means responsive to input control signals for selectively receiving and storing image data in said video output signal, and means for selectively and independently generating said first, second, third and fourth clock signals and said input control signal for selectively integrating image data by row and column at said sensor, downloading image data from said sensor to said image processing means, and receiving and storing image data at said image processing means.

2. Apparatus for inspecting transparent containers having a central axis for variations affecting commercial acceptability of such containers, said apparatus comprising:

means for rotating a container about its central axis, a light source positioned to direct diffused light energy onto a container in said rotating means from a direction lateral to said axis, camera means positioned across said axis from said light source having a field of view which includes portions of wall surfaces of said container in said rotating means, and information processing means responsive to said camera means for obtaining information as a function of optical characteristics of the container,

characterized in that said camera means comprises an image array sensor having a matrix of image sensing elements arranged in a row-and-column array and means on said sensor for selectively reading image data at said sensing elements sequentially by row and column, and

in that said image processing means includes means coupled to said selectively-reading means for selectively integrating on said array image data from adjacent elements in said array, and means for reading and storing selectively integrated data output from said array sensor.

3. The apparatus set forth in claim 2 wherein said selectively-reading means comprises a plurality of first transport registers for receiving image data from corresponding columns of image sensing elements, a second transport register for receiving image data from said first transport registers by element row, and output means for selectively transmitting said image data output from said second transport register, and

wherein said selectively-integrating means includes means for selectively integrating image data from adjacent rows of said sensing elements at said second transport register, and means for selectively integrating image data from adjacent columns of said sensing elements at said output means.

4. A camera system including a camera having an image array sensor with a matrix of image sensing elements arranged in a row-and-column array, means for selectively reading image data at said sensing elements sequentially by row and column, and means for projecting an image to be secured onto said array sensor;

and image processing means including means coupled to said selectively-reading means for selectively integrating image data from adjacent elements in said array in said selectively-reading means, and means for reading and storing selectively integrated data from said array sensor.

5. The system set forth in claim 4 wherein said selectively-reading means comprises a plurality of first transport registers for receiving image data from corresponding rows of image sensing elements, a second transport register for receiving image data from said first transport registers by element column, and output means for selectively transmitting image data from said second transport register, and

wherein said image processing means includes means for selectively integrating image data from adjacent columns of said sensing elements at said second transport register, and means for selectively integrating image data from adjacent rows of said sensing elements at said output means.

6. In a camera system which includes a camera having an image array sensor with a matrix of image sensing elements arranged in a row-and-column array, means on said array sensor for sequentially reading image data at said sensing elements by row and column to provide a video signal, and separate microprocessor-based image processing means responsive to said video signal, a method of increasing signal-to-noise ratio in said video signal while reducing processing time at said image processing means comprising the steps of:

(a) selectively integrating at said sensor image data from adjacent element in said array, and

(b) transmitting such selectively integrated image data to said image processing means as said video signal.

7. The method set forth in claim 6 comprising the additional steps of:

(c) identifying image areas of interest at said sensor less than the entire area of said sensor, and

(d) transmitting to said image processing means in said step (b) integrated image data from only those image areas of interest identified in said step (c).

8. A method of inspecting a container having a central axis for variations affecting commercial acceptability of such container, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) directing an optical image of a container under inspection onto an image array sensor that includes a matrix of image sensing elements arranged in a row-and-column array with columns of said array having oriented orthogonally to the container axis, a plurality of first transport registers for receiving image data from corresponding columns of image sensing elements, a second transport register for serially receiving image data from said first transport registers by element row, and output means for selectively transmitting image data output information serially from said second transport register to external information processing means,

(b) identifying image data of interest by row of said image sensing elements,

(c) discarding image data other than said data identified in said step (b) by

(c1) clocking all image data from said sensing elements onto said first transport registers,

(c2) clocking data from said first transport registers onto said second transport register up to but excluding said row of interest, and

(c3) clocking data out of said second transport register serially through said output means without simultaneously loading said data onto said external information processing means, and then

(d) downloading said data of interest identified in said step (b) by

(d1) clocking said image data from said row of interest from said first transport registers onto said second transport register, and then

(d2) clocking image data on said second transport register serially through said output means to said information processing means.

9. The method set forth in claim 8 wherein said steps (c2) and (c3) are carried out at a clock frequency greater than that of said step (d1) and (d2).

10. The method set forth in claim 8 wherein said step (d) includes the step of integrating image data on said sensor for a preselected number of sensor rows of said sensing elements by performing said step (d1) the same said preselected number of times before performing said step (d2), such that image data from said preselected number of rows is integrated in said second transport register before clocking through said output means.

11. The method set forth in claim 8 wherein said step (d2) comprises the steps of clocking image data in said second transport register into said output means and separately clocking image data in said output means to said external information processing means, and wherein said step (d) includes the step of integrating image data on said sensor for a preselected number of columns of said sensing elements by clocking image data in said second transport register serially into said output means for a number of clock cycles equal to said preselected number before clocking information in said output means to said information processing means.

12. The method set forth in claim 8 comprising the additional step of locating an edge portion of the container parallel to the container axis by selectively varying said row of interest identified in said step (b) until a bright/dark transition is detected between adjacent rows.