Human-machine-interface and method for manipulating data in a machine vision system

• US 8,127,247 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2006
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cognex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cognex Corporation
• Inventors: Tremblay, Robert J., Philips, Brian S., Keating, John F., Eames, Andrew, Whitman, Steven, Mirtich, Brian V., Arbogast, Carroll McNeil Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Do, Chat
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leggett, Andrea C
• Application Number:
  US11/616,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20070146491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,889 Days
• Field of Search: 715/788, 715/774, 715/718, 715/972, 715/771, 382/149, 348/211.99
• US Class Current: 715/788
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/40 Software arrangements specially adapted for pattern recognition, e.g. user interfaces or toolboxes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0004 Industrial image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/945 User interactive design; Environments; Toolboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/972 Inserted real-time video in operator interface

Abstract

This invention provides a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that operates in connection with a machine vision detector or other machine vision system, which provides a highly intuitive and industrial machine-like appearance and layout. The GUI includes a centralized image frame window surrounded by panes having buttons and specific interface components that the user employs in each step of a machine vision system set up and run procedure. One pane allows the user to view and manipulate a recorded filmstrip of image thumbnails taken in a sequence, and provides the filmstrip with specialized highlighting (colors or patterns) that indicate useful information about the underlying images. The programming of logic is performed using a programming window that includes a ladder logic arrangement.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface (GUI) displayed on a computer display for setup and testing of machine vision systems comprising:

an interface screen that includes buttons that allow a user to set up and configure a sensor in a region of interest on an image of an object, the sensor providing a high or low value based upon the presence or absence of predetermined features in the region of interest, the region of interest corresponding to a feature of the object;

a ladder logic screen on which the user can configure rungs of ladder logic that uses results provided by the sensors as contacts on the rungs to provide discrete high or low output coils for each of the rungs; and

an image window that presents a thumbnail of a subject image of the object including graphical representations of sensors associated with selected of the contacts, wherein highlighting each of the contacts causes the window to display the associated graphical representation of the sensor associated with the contact.

2. The GUI as set forth in claim 1 wherein the output coils are constructed and arranged to be provided as contacts on predetermined rungs.

3. The GUI as set forth in claim 1 wherein the image window comprises an information pane.

4. The GUI as set forth in claim 3 wherein the information pane includes at least one of a help window, a monitor window and a statistic window.

5. The GUI as set forth in claim 1 wherein the thumbnail is one of a plurality of thumbnails that are presented as a sequence representative of a filmstrip.

6. The GUI as set forth in claim 1 further comprising an image window displaying a real-time image of the object.

7. The GUI as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a button that, when activated, causes the rungs to be utilized to run a machine vision job using the interconnected vision system.

8. The GUI as set forth in claim 1 wherein the ladder logic screen includes at least a wire and a gadget each being configurable to change a visual appearance thereof to indicate a fuzzy logic value.

9. The GUI as set forth in claim 1 further comprising an OR button that applies an OR branch to a selected rung of the rungs.

10. The GUI as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a set of buttons that provide an interface function so that the user can configure the rungs using results provided by the vision system based on a plurality of features, the results being contacts on the rungs that provide at least one of the high or low output coils for the rungs.

11. The GUI as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a set of buttons that provides an interface function to configure the coils on the rungs, the interface function interconnecting with alarms, actuators, and physical devices based upon the coils.

12. The GUI as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a set of buttons having interface functions constructed and arranged so that the user can define visual signals that appear on the interface screen to indicate a predetermined status based upon a selected rung of the rungs.

13. A graphical user interface (GUI) displayed on a computer display for setup and testing of machine vision systems comprising:

an interface screen that includes buttons that allow a user to set up and configure a sensor in a region of interest on an image of an object, the sensor providing a high or low value based upon the presence or absence of predetermined features in the region of interest, the region of interest corresponding to a feature of the object;

a ladder logic screen on which the user can configure rungs of ladder logic that uses results provided by the sensors as contacts on the rungs to provide discrete high or low output coils for each of the rungs; and

wherein the output coils are constructed and arranged to be provided as contacts on predetermined rungs.

14. The GUI as set forth in claim 13 wherein the ladder logic screen includes a button that enables the addition of at least one of a contact and a rung.

15. The GUI as set forth in claim 13 further comprising a plurality of buttons the buttons defining each of a plurality of different and discrete procedures, the procedures occur to perform at least one of start, set up, configure, and finish a machine vision job.

16. A graphical user interface (GUI) displayed on a computer display for setup and testing of machine vision systems comprising:

an interface screen that includes buttons that allow a user to set up and configure a sensor in a region of interest on an image of an object, the sensor providing a high or low value based upon the presence or absence of predetermined features in the region of interest, the region of interest corresponding to a feature of the object;

a ladder logic screen on which the user can configure rungs of ladder logic that uses results provided by the sensors as contacts on the rungs to provide discrete high or low output coils for each of the rungs; and

wherein each of the contacts is constructed and arranged so as to be highlighted and thereby display a menu of properties, the menu of properties being selectable so as to change the properties of the highlighted contact.

17. The GUI as set forth in claim 16 wherein the menu of properties includes inversion of a contact, association of a contact with sensors or another input source and deletion of a contact from a selected of the rungs.

18. The GUI as set forth in claim 16 wherein the rungs include a first default rung that ANDs the results of all sensors and a second default rung that Ors the results of all sensors.

19. The GUI as set forth in claim 18 wherein the rungs include a third default rung that signals detection of the object within a vision system field of view.