Creating machine vision inspections using a state diagram representation

• US 7,864,178 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2006
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: National Instruments Corporation (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Vazquez, Nicolas, Marini, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung; Kee M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Welch; David T
• Application Number:
  US11/550,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20070168943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: 345/440, 715/762, 715/763
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/34 Graphical or visual programming

Abstract

A machine vision development environment that may utilize a control flow representation (preferably a state diagram representation) to specify and execute machine vision routines (e.g., sometimes referred to as inspection routines). A user may first create one or more machine vision routines using any of various methods. The user may then graphically specify a sequence of machine vision steps or operations, e.g., a machine vision inspection, using a state diagram representation. The state diagram representation may comprise a plurality of icons which represent states with corresponding operations or functions, such as, for example, Load Inspection, Part Ready, Run Inspection, Read Digital Input, etc. The various icons may be connected by wires that indicate control flow transitions, e.g., state transitions, among the states. The state diagram may then be executed to control the machine vision routines.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for creating a state diagram which specifies a machine vision program, the method comprising:

graphically assembling the state diagram on a display in response to user input, wherein said graphically assembling the state diagram comprises;

receiving first user input selecting a first plurality of icons that represent states of the state diagram;

receiving second user input associating machine vision steps with each of the first plurality of icons, wherein said associating comprises associating a plurality of machine vision steps with at least one icon of the first plurality of icons;

receiving third user input configuring a first plurality of lines connecting various ones of the first plurality of icons, wherein the first plurality of lines represent state transitions between various ones of the first plurality of icons based on user specified conditions, wherein one or more of the user specified conditions depends on one or more characteristics of an object under inspection;

wherein one or more of the first plurality of icons represent one or more additional diagrams that specify a machine vision or inspection routine;

wherein the state diagram specifies the machine vision program, wherein the machine vision program is stored in a memory of the computer.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a second plurality of icons which correspond to a plurality of possible machine vision steps, wherein the second user input graphically associates one or more of the second plurality of icons with one or more of the first plurality of icons.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more additional diagrams include a second state diagram, wherein the second state diagram specifies additional states and transitions corresponding to the one or more of the first plurality of icons.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the state diagram specifies a single inspection cycle, and wherein the method further comprises:

placing the state diagram in a graphical program, wherein the graphical program provides for iterative execution of the state diagram.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the graphical program is a data flow graphical program.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the state diagram specifies a single inspection cycle, and wherein the method further comprises:

placing the state diagram in a second state diagram, wherein the second state diagram provides for iterative execution of the state diagram placed therein.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the user specified conditions comprise one or more of:

whether the object under inspection is detected;

dimension of the object under inspection;

color of the object under inspection;

intensity of the object under inspection;

text of the object under inspection;

barcode of the object under inspection;

location of the object under inspection;

or

passing inspection.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing the machine vision program, wherein, during execution, the machine vision program performs the machine vision steps based on the user specified conditions.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein said executing the machine vision program comprises executing the machine vision steps for each state transition from a current state to a next state.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein during execution of the machine vision program, transitions between states are not executed until the user specified conditions are met.

11. A computer-accessible non-transitory memory medium for creating a state diagram which specifies a machine vision program, the memory medium comprising program instructions executable by a processor to:

graphically assemble the state diagram on a display in response to user input, wherein said graphically assembling the state diagram comprises;

receiving first user input selecting a first plurality of icons that represent states of the state diagram;

receiving second user input associating machine vision steps with each of the first plurality of icons, wherein said associating comprises associating a plurality of machine vision steps with at least one icon of the first plurality of icons;

receiving third user input configuring a first plurality of lines connecting various ones of the first plurality of icons, wherein the first plurality of lines represent state transitions between various ones of the first plurality of icons based on user specified conditions, wherein one or more of the user specified conditions depends on one or more characteristics of an object under inspection;

wherein one or more of the first plurality of icons represent one or more additional diagrams that specify a machine vision or inspection routine;

wherein the state diagram specifies the machine vision program, wherein the machine vision program is stored in a memory of the computer.

12. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 11, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

display a second plurality of icons which correspond to a plurality of possible machine vision steps, wherein the second user input graphically associates one or more of the second plurality of icons with one or more of the first plurality of icons.

13. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 11, wherein the one or more additional diagrams include a second state diagram, wherein the second state diagram specifies additional states and transitions corresponding to the one or more of the first plurality of icons.

14. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 11, wherein the user specified conditions comprise one or more of:

whether the object under inspection is detected;

location of the object under inspection;

or

passing inspection.

15. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 11, wherein the state diagram specifies a single inspection cycle, and wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

place the state diagram in a graphical program, wherein the graphical program provides for iterative execution of the state diagram.

16. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 15, wherein the graphical program is a data flow graphical program.

17. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 11, wherein the state diagram specifies a single inspection cycle, and wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

place the state diagram in a second state diagram, wherein the second state diagram provides for iterative execution of the state diagram placed therein.

18. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 11, wherein the user specified conditions comprise one or more of:

whether the object under inspection is detected;

dimension of the object under inspection;

color of the object under inspection;

intensity of the object under inspection;

text of the object under inspection;

barcode of the object under inspection;

location of the object under inspection;

or

passing inspection.

19. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 11, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

execute the machine vision program, wherein, during execution, the machine vision program performs the machine vision steps based on the user specified conditions.

20. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 19, wherein in executing the machine vision program, the program instructions are executable to:

execute the machine vision steps for each state transition from the-a current state to a next state.

21. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 19, wherein during execution of the machine vision program, transitions between states are not executed until the user specified conditions are met.