Machine vision calibration targets and methods of determining their location and orientation in an image
First Claim
1. A machine vision method of determining a location of an object, the method comprising the steps ofA. placing a calibration target on the object, the target comprisingi. two or more regions, each region being defined by at least two linear edges that are directed toward a reference point;
- ii. at least one of the regions having a different image able characteristic from an adjacent region;
B. generating an image of at least the calibration target;
C. identifying edges in the image corresponding to lines in the calibration target;
D. determining a location where lines fitted to those edges intersect.
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Abstract
A machine vision method analyzes a calibration target of the type having two or more regions, each having a "imageable characteristic," e.g., a different color, contrast, or brightness, from its neighboring region(s). Each region has at least two edges--referred to as "adjoining edges"--that are linear and that are directed toward and, optionally meet at, a reference point (e.g., the center of the target or some other location of interest). The method includes generating an image of the target, identifying in the image features corresponding to the adjoining edges, fitting lines to those edges, and determining the orientation and/or position of the target from those lines.
273 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A machine vision method of determining a location of an object, the method comprising the steps of
A. placing a calibration target on the object, the target comprising i. two or more regions, each region being defined by at least two linear edges that are directed toward a reference point; -
ii. at least one of the regions having a different image able characteristic from an adjacent region; B. generating an image of at least the calibration target; C. identifying edges in the image corresponding to lines in the calibration target; D. determining a location where lines fitted to those edges intersect. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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2. A method according to step 1, wherein step (C) comprises the step of identifying edges in the image by applying an edge detection vision tool to the image.
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3. A method according to step 1, wherein step (C) comprises identifying edges in the image by applying a caliper vision tool to the image.
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4. A method according to step 1, wherein step (C) comprises identifying edges in the image by applying a first difference operator vision tool to the image, and by applying a peak detector vision tool the an output of the first difference operator vision tool.
- 5. A method according to step 1, wherein step (C) comprises identifying edges in the image by applying a caliper tool to the image beginning at an approximate location of the reference point.
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12. A machine vision method of determining an orientation of an object, the method comprising the steps of
A. placing a calibration target on the object, the target comprising i. two or more regions, each region being defined by at least two linear edges that are directed toward a reference point; -
ii. at least one of the regions having a different image able characteristic from an adjacent region; B. generating an image of at least the target; C. identifying edges in the image corresponding to lines in the calibration target; D. determining an orientation of the target based on the angle of those identified edges. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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21. A machine vision method of determining a location and orientation of an object, the method comprising the steps of
A. placing a calibration target on the object, the target comprising i. two or more regions, each region being defined by at least two linear edges that are directed toward a reference point; -
ii. at least one of the regions having a different image able characteristic from an adjacent region; B. generating an image of at least the target; C. generating, based on analysis of the image, an estimate of an orientation of the target therein; D. generating, based on analysis of the image, an estimate of a location of the reference point therein; E. refining, based on analysis of the image, estimates of at least one of the location of the reference point in the image and the orientation of the target in the image. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification