Methods and apparatus for machine vision high accuracy searching
First Claim
1. In a machine vision apparatus of the type havinglocation finding means, responsive to an applied template image-representative signal and an applied candidate image-representative signal, for determining an approximate location, in the candidate image, of an object shown in the template image, and for generating an approximation signal representative of such location, the improvement for determining a more exact location in the candidate image of the object shown in the template image, comprisingA. means for inputting a signal representative of said template image and a signal representative of said candidate image,B. runtime means for invoking said location finding means with said template image-representative signal and said candidate image-representative signal,C. correction means, coupled to said location finding means, for generating a signal representative of a more exact location of said object in said candidate image as a function of an empirically-based relationship between an approximate location determined by said location finding means and a known location of said object, the empirically-based relationship determined from prior invocation of the location finding means with the template image-representative signal and one or more signals representative of a model candidate image at known locations.
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Abstract
An improved machine vision apparatus, of the type having a search element capable of estimating the location of a template image in a candidate image, includes an element that accepts signals representative of the template and of a candidate image. Those signals are applied to the search element to obtain its estimate of location. A correction element responds to the resulting approximation by the location-finder for generating a signal representative of more exacting location based on a known relationship between the location-finder output and more exacting locations of the template in a model of the candidate image.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. In a machine vision apparatus of the type having
location finding means, responsive to an applied template image-representative signal and an applied candidate image-representative signal, for determining an approximate location, in the candidate image, of an object shown in the template image, and for generating an approximation signal representative of such location, the improvement for determining a more exact location in the candidate image of the object shown in the template image, comprising A. means for inputting a signal representative of said template image and a signal representative of said candidate image, B. runtime means for invoking said location finding means with said template image-representative signal and said candidate image-representative signal, C. correction means, coupled to said location finding means, for generating a signal representative of a more exact location of said object in said candidate image as a function of an empirically-based relationship between an approximate location determined by said location finding means and a known location of said object, the empirically-based relationship determined from prior invocation of the location finding means with the template image-representative signal and one or more signals representative of a model candidate image at known locations.
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11. In a method for operating a machine vision apparatus of the type having
location finding means, responsive to an applied template image-representative signal and an applied candidate image-representative signal, for determining an approximate location of an object shown in said template image in said candidate image and for generating an approximation signal representative of such location, the improvement for determining a more exact location, in the candidate image of an object shown in the template image, comprising A. an inputting step for inputting a signal representative of said template image and a signal representative of said candidate image, B. a runtime step for invoking said location finding means with said image-representative signal and said candidate image-representative signal, C. correction step for generating a signal representative of a more exact location of said template image in said candidate image as a function of an empirically-based relationship between an approximate location determined by said location finding means and a known location of said object, the empirically-based relationship determined from prior invocation of the location finding means with the template image-representative signal and one or more signals representative of a model candidate image at known locations.
Specification