System or method for detecting defect within a semi-opaque enclosure
First Claim
1. A method for detecting an object located within a semi-opaque enclosure having a semi-opaque first side portion having first internal and external surfaces and a semi-opaque second side portion having second internal and external surfaces, said first side portion being different from and opposing said second side portion, said first external surface having a pattern visible externally to said enclosure, said object being located between said first and second side portions, said method comprising:
- directing first channel light toward and onto said first external surface of said semi-opaque enclosure;
capturing, from portions of said first channel light reflected off said first external surface but not having passed through said first internal surface, a first digital image comprising data representing said pattern;
directing second channel light toward and onto said object and toward and onto said first side portion of said enclosure;
capturing, from portions of said second channel light emanating from said first external surface after first traveling along side and around said object inside said enclosure and passing through said first internal surface, a second digital image comprising a silhouette of said object; and
forming a difference image representing the object and substantially devoid of information representing said visible pattern by subtracting one of said first and second digital images from the other.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system detect for the presence of a defect or a non-conforming object of unknown shape, configuration, and location within a semi-opaque enclosure. The semi-opaque enclosure has a pattern which is visible on at least a first of its external surfaces. The semi-opaque enclosure may comprise, for example, a labeled plastic or glass bottle, and the visible pattern may be print and graphical information provided on the bottle'"'"'s label. A first digital image is captured from first channel light reflected off the first external surface of the enclosure; and a second digital image is captured from second channel light navigating the object inside the enclosure and emanating from the first external surface of the enclosure. A difference image is formed substantially devoid of information representing the visible pattern on the first external surface, by subtracting one of the first and second digital images from the other. Additional segmentation processing may be performed on the difference image in order to better identify the presence of a defect or non-conforming object within the semi-opaque enclosure.
45 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method for detecting an object located within a semi-opaque enclosure having a semi-opaque first side portion having first internal and external surfaces and a semi-opaque second side portion having second internal and external surfaces, said first side portion being different from and opposing said second side portion, said first external surface having a pattern visible externally to said enclosure, said object being located between said first and second side portions, said method comprising:
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directing first channel light toward and onto said first external surface of said semi-opaque enclosure; capturing, from portions of said first channel light reflected off said first external surface but not having passed through said first internal surface, a first digital image comprising data representing said pattern; directing second channel light toward and onto said object and toward and onto said first side portion of said enclosure; capturing, from portions of said second channel light emanating from said first external surface after first traveling along side and around said object inside said enclosure and passing through said first internal surface, a second digital image comprising a silhouette of said object; and forming a difference image representing the object and substantially devoid of information representing said visible pattern by subtracting one of said first and second digital images from the other. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for detecting an object of unknown shape, configuration, and location on an inner wall surface of a rigid semi-opaque enclosure having a semi-opaque first side portion having first internal and external surfaces and a semi-opaque second side portion having second internal and external surfaces, said first side portion being different from and opposing said second side portion, said first external surface having a pattern visible externally to said enclosure, said method comprising:
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directing first channel light toward and onto said first external surface of said semi-opaque enclosure; capturing, from portions of said first channel light reflected off said first external surface but not having passed through said first internal surface, a first digital image comprising data representing said pattern; directing second channel light toward and onto said object and toward and onto said first side portion of said enclosure; capturing, from portions of said second channel light emanating from said first external surface after first traveling along side and around said object inside said enclosure and then passing through said first internal surface, a second digital image comprising a silhouette of said object; and forming a difference image representing said object and substantially devoid of information representing said visible pattern by subtracting one of said first and second digital images from the other. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system for detecting an object of unknown shape, configuration, and location within a semi-opaque enclosure having a semi-opaque first side portion having first internal and external surfaces and a semi-opaque second side portion having second internal and external surfaces, said first side portion being different from and opposing said second side portion, said first external surface having a pattern visible externally to said enclosure, said object being located between said first and said second side portions, said system comprising:
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a first light director directing first channel light toward and onto said first external surface of said enclosure; a first image acquisition subsystem capturing, from portions of said first channel light reflected off said first external surface but not having passed through said first internal surface, a first digital image comprising data representing said pattern; a second light director directing second channel light toward and onto said object and said first side portion of said enclosure; a second image acquisition subsystem capturing, from portions of said channel light emanating from said first external surface after first traveling along side and around said object inside said enclosure and then passing through said first internal surface, a second digital image comprising a silhouette of said object; and a processor for forming a difference image representing said object and substantially devoid of information representing said visible pattern by subtracting one of said first and second digital images from the other. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification