Hand held machine vision method and apparatus

• US 7,963,448 B2
• Filed: 05/06/2005
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cognex Technology & Investment Corporation (Cognex Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cognex Technology & Investment Corporation (Cognex Corporation)
• Inventors: Testa, Justin
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim; Tae
• Application Number:
  US11/123,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20060131418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,237 Days
• Field of Search: 235/472.01
• US Class Current: 235/472.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/24 for measuring contours or curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1011 Aiming
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10544 by scanning of the records by radiation in the optical part of the electromagnetic spectrum

Abstract

A method and system for use with a portable device including a processor, at least some embodiments of the method including the steps of providing an identification tag on at least one item that includes item identifying information, obtaining item identifying information from the identification tag via the portable device, obtaining at least one image of the at least one item via the portable device and performing a supplemental process using the identifying information and the at least one image.

Claims

1. A method for use with a database and a portable device including a processor, the method for performing functions associated with different items, the method comprising the steps of:

providing identification tags on each of a plurality of items, each tag including identifying information useable to specifically identify an associated item;

obtaining item identifying information from at least one identification tag corresponding to a specific item via the portable device;

identifying supplemental processes as a function of the item identifying information;

obtaining other information associated with the specific item including at least one image of the specific item via the portable device;

performing the supplemental processes on the other information associated with the specific item; and

when a transition indication is received, halting ongoing supplemental processes.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the transition indications include one of obtaining item identifying information from at least one other of the identification tags and receiving an end process indication via the portable device.

3. The method of claim 2 further including the step of providing a database for storing supplemental processes associated with specific item identifying information and wherein the step of identifying supplemental processes includes accessing the database to identify supplemental processes associated with the item identifying information.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein at least a subset of the supplemental processes include obtaining multiple images of the item and analyzing various item features.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of analyzing various features includes determining dimensions of features in multiple obtained images.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the multiple images are obtained along at least two different trajectories and wherein different sub-processes are performed using images from at least two different trajectories.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the supplemental processes include one of measurement, inspection and alignment.

8. An apparatus for use with items that include identification tags where each tag includes item identifying information, the apparatus comprising:

a portable housing;

a processor mounted within the housing;

a tag information obtainer supported by the housing for obtaining information from the tags; and

a camera supported by the housing;

wherein, the processor runs a program to, when item identifying information is obtained from a tag associated with a specific item via the obtainer, identify supplemental processes as a function of the item identifying information, perform the supplemental processes associated with the specific item on other information obtained by the processor, wherein the other information includes other information associated with the specific item including at least one image of the specific item until a transition indication is received and, when a transition indication is received, halt the supplemental processes associated with the specific item.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the transition indications include one of obtaining item identifying information from at least one other of the identification tags and receiving an end process indication.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the supplemental processes include one of measurement, inspection and alignment.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein at least a subset of the supplemental processes include obtaining multiple images of the item and analyzing various item features.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of analyzing various features includes determining dimensions of features in multiple obtained images.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the multiple images are obtained along at least two different trajectories and wherein different sub-processes are performed using images from at least two different trajectories.

14. The method of claim 10 further including the step of providing a database for storing supplemental processes associated with specific item identifying information and wherein the step of identifying supplemental processes includes accessing the database to identify supplemental processes associated with the item identifying information.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein at least a subset of the supplemental processes include obtaining multiple images of the item and analyzing various item features.