Fuzzy control for a lamp glass pipe sealing process

• US 5,305,224 A
• Filed: 09/21/1992
• Issued: 04/19/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Iwasaki Electric Company Limited, Mitsubishi Genshiroyoku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Masui, Motonobu, Hishida, Masahiko, Yokoyama, Terukuni, Ban, Yasuo, Atsumi, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jerry
• Assistant Examiner(s): GORDON, PAUL P
• Application Number:
  US07/948,153
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 364/473, 364/474, 364/510, 364/148, 395/1, 395/900, 65/32.5, 65/34, 65/36, 65/160, 65/162
• US Class Current: 700/207
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/0275 using fuzzy logic only

Abstract

A fuzzy controller is provided which enables even an unskilled operator to easily adjust various conditions in a glass pipe sealing process. The fuzzy controller has a fuzzy control processor including an image processing unit for processing and calculating image information as a softened state change value of the glass pipe and a combustion state value of burner flame, and a fuzzy control processing unit for calculating and outputting, by receiving a result of this calculation, a suitable control value for controlling parameters relating to the burner flame by fuzzy inference. The fuzzy controller may further has a fuzzy diagnosis support processor which, if there is an abnormality in the sealed portion of the glass pipe and if the state of the glass pipe after sealing is input to the manipulation instruction data input support processor by the operator, automatically ascertains the cause of the abnormality by using fuzzy inference and displays it on a CRT. A fuzzy control system and a fuzzy control process are also provided which enable automatization of a lamp glass pipe sealing process by using this fuzzy controller.

Claims

1. A fuzzy controller for sealing a glass pipe for a lamp by heating an end portion of the glass pipe with burner flame to soften the end portion and by thereafter pressing the softened end portion, said fuzzy controller comprising:

a camera device for forming an image of the state of the burner flame and the softened state of the glass pipe; and

a fuzzy control processor including image processing means for processing and calculating image information obtained by said camera device as a softened state change value of the glass pipe and a combustion state value of the burner flame based on image processing data, and fuzzy control means for calculating and outputting, with respect to a result of the calculation performed by said image processing means, a suitable control value for controlling at least one parameter relating to the burner flame by fuzzy inference and based on fuzzy control data including a predetermined fuzzy rule and a membership function.

2. A fuzzy controller according to claim 1, said fuzzy control processor further includes state display processing means for receiving a pseudo color image from said image processing means to display the received image on a cathode ray tube, and for displaying, on the cathode ray tube, the control value output from said fuzzy control processing means as an amount of manipulation of the parameter relating to the burner flame.

3. A fuzzy controller according to claim 2, further comprising a fuzzy diagnosis support processor including manipulation instruction data input support processing means for converting the content of an input received as a result of observation of a finished state of the sealed glass pipe into a corresponding predetermined fuzzy rule and a membership function based on fuzzy diagnosis data, and manipulation instruction processing means for performing fuzzy inference by receiving the converted result from said manipulation instruction data input support processing means to output a method of manipulating the control value to the cathode ray tube.

4. A fuzzy control system for sealing a glass pipe for a lamp by heating an end portion of the glass pipe with burner flame of burner means to soften the end portion and by thereafter pressing the softened end portion by press means, said fuzzy controller comprising:

image pickup means for forming an image of the state of the burner flame and the softened state of the glass pipe;

a fuzzy control processor including image processing means for processing and calculating image information obtained by said image pickup means as a softened state change value of the glass pipe and a combustion state value of the burner flame based on image processing data, fuzzy control means for calculating and outputting, with respect to a result of the calculating performed by said image processing means, a suitable control value for controlling at least one parameter relating to the burner flame by fuzzy inference and based on fuzzy control data including a predetermined fuzzy rule and a membership function, and state display processing means for receiving a pseudo color image from said image processing means to display the received image on a cathode ray tube, and for displaying, on the cathode ray tube, the control value output form said fuzzy control processing means as an amount of manipulation of the parameter relating to the burner flame;

a fuzzy diagnosis support processor including manipulation instruction data input support processing means for converting the content of an input received as a result of observation of a finished state of the sealed glass pipe into a corresponding predetermined fuzzy rule and a membership function based on fuzzy diagnosis data, and manipulation instruction processing means for performing fuzzy inference by receiving the converted result from said manipulation instruction data input support processing means to output a method of manipulating the control value to the cathode ray tube;

an A/D converter for converting the control value, the amount of manipulation and the manipulation method into analog signals; and

an operating system for operating said burner means and said press means in an optimal manner by receiving the signals from said A/D converter as operation instruction signals.

5. A fuzzy control process using a fuzzy controller including image processing means, fuzzy control processing means, state display processing means, manipulation instruction data input support processing means and manipulation instruction processing means, image pickup means, a cathode ray tube, input means for said fuzzy controller, and an operating system for operating a burner and a mold for pressing to seal a glass pipe for a lamp by heating an end portion of the glass pipe with burner flame to soften the end portion and by thereafter pressing the softened end portion, said fuzzy control process comprising the steps of:

forming an image of the state of the burner flame and the softened state of the glass pipe by said image pickup means;

processing and calculating image information obtained by said image pickup means as a softened state change value of the glass pipe and a combustion state value of the burner flame by said image processing means based on image processing data;

calculating and outputting, from a result of the calculation performed by said image processing means, a suitable control value for controlling at least one parameter relating to the burner flame by said fuzzy control processing means and by fuzzy inference based on fuzzy control data including a predetermined fuzzy rule and a membership function;

obtaining a pseudo color image from said image processing means to display the image on said cathode ray tube, and displaying the control value output from said fuzzy control processing means on said cathode ray tube as an amount of manipulation of the parameter relating to the burner flame;

converting, by said manipulation instruction data input support processing means, the content of an input received as a result of observation of a finished state of the sealed glass pipe input through said input means into a corresponding predetermined fuzzy rule and a membership function based on fuzzy diagnosis data;

performing fuzzy inference of the converted result obtained from said manipulation instruction data input support processing means by said manipulation instruction processing means to output a method of manipulating the control value to the cathode ray tube; and

outputting signals representing the control value, the amount of manipulation and the manipulation method to said operation system through an A/D converter.