Vision system to calculate a fluid volume in a container
First Claim
Patent Images
1. As system for calculating a volume of liquid that is disposed within a container comprising:
- an imaging device in the form of a digital camera that captures and stores an image of at least the volume of liquid in the container;
a background disposed behind the container so that at least the volume of liquid in the container is disposed in front of the background,wherein the container is disposed between the digital camera and the background, the stored image being defined by a set of vertical pixel numbers and a set of horizontal pixel numbers, andwherein the background is defined by a first region that has a first color contrast and a second region that has a second color contrast; and
a processor that performs at least on operation on the stored image including analyzing a portion of the background that is visible through the volume of liquid and appears altered relative to adjacent portions of the stored image to calculate the volume of the liquid within the container.
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Abstract
Broadly speaking the present invention is directed to a system for calculating a volume of fluid that is disposed within a container. The system includes (1) an imaging device that captures and stores an image of at least the volume of fluid in the container; (2) a background disposed behind the container so that at least the volume of fluid in the container is disposed in front of the background; and (3) a processor that performs at least one operation on the stored image to calculate the volume of the fluid within the container.
285 Citations
38 Claims
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1. As system for calculating a volume of liquid that is disposed within a container comprising:
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an imaging device in the form of a digital camera that captures and stores an image of at least the volume of liquid in the container; a background disposed behind the container so that at least the volume of liquid in the container is disposed in front of the background, wherein the container is disposed between the digital camera and the background, the stored image being defined by a set of vertical pixel numbers and a set of horizontal pixel numbers, and wherein the background is defined by a first region that has a first color contrast and a second region that has a second color contrast; and a processor that performs at least on operation on the stored image including analyzing a portion of the background that is visible through the volume of liquid and appears altered relative to adjacent portions of the stored image to calculate the volume of the liquid within the container. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for calculating a volume of liquid that is disposed within a container comprising the steps of:
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providing a background in front of which the container is placed so that at least the volume of liquid is disposed in front of the background; operating an imaging device to capture and store an image of at least the volume of the liquid, wherein the imaging device is digital camera and the stored image is a digital and the background is defined by a first region that has a first color contrast and second region that has a second color contrast, the first color contrast being substantially darker than the second color contrast; and performing at least on operation on the stored image including analyzing a portion of the background that is visible through the volume of liquid and appear altered relative to adjacent portions of the stored image to calculate the volume of the liquid contained within the container. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A system for calculating a volume of liquid that is disposed within a container comprising:
- an imaging device that captures and stores an image of at least the volume of liquid in the container;
a bifurcated background disposed behind the container so that at least the volume of liquid in the container is disposed in front of the background, wherein the container is constructed so that optical properties thereof and the liquid filled therein serve to define a liquid cylindrical lens causing a portion of the bifurcated background that lies behind the liquid in the container to be inverted in the captured and stored image; and
a processor that performs at least one operation on the stored image including analyzing a location of the inverted portion relative to adjacent portions of the stored image to calculate the volume of the liquid within the container. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38)
- an imaging device that captures and stores an image of at least the volume of liquid in the container;
Specification