Method and apparatus for detecting and characterizing an object
First Claim
1. A method for detecting an object, and determining a a mark count of the object, comprising:
- using a conveyor having motion relative to a two-dimensional field of view to transport the object;
inputting an encoding signal responsive to the motion of the conveyor, from which can be obtained at desired times a corresponding encoder count indicating a relative location of the conveyor;
capturing a plurality of frames, each frame of the plurality of frames comprising an image of the two-dimensional field of view;
choosing, responsive to a first analysis of the plurality of frames, a plurality of active frames from the plurality of frames, such that the first analysis indicates sufficient evidence that the object is located in the field of view for each frame of the plurality of active frames;
obtaining a plurality of capture counts corresponding to the plurality of active frames, each capture count of the plurality of capture counts being responsive to the encoder count corresponding to a time at which the corresponding active frame was captured;
computing, responsive to a second analysis of the plurality of active frames, a plurality of location values, each location value of the plurality of location values responsive to a position of the object in the field of view in an associated active frame as computed by the second analysis;
determining the mark count of the object using the plurality of location values and the plurality of capture counts, the mark count indicates the encoder count corresponding to a time when the object was located at a fixed mark point; and
indicating a location of the object by producing a signal at a report time that occurs when the corresponding encoder count differs from the mark count by a delay count.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for automatic optoelectronic detection and inspection of objects, based on capturing digital images of a two-dimensional field of view in which an object to be detected or inspected may be located, analyzing the images, and making and reporting decisions on the status of the object. Decisions are based on evidence obtained from a plurality of images for which the object is located in the field of view, generally corresponding to a plurality of viewing perspectives. Evidence that an object is located in the field of view is used for detection, and evidence that the object satisfies appropriate inspection criteria is used for inspection. Methods and apparatus are disclosed for capturing and analyzing images at high speed so that multiple viewing perspectives can be obtained for objects in continuous motion.
217 Citations
49 Claims
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1. A method for detecting an object, and determining a a mark count of the object, comprising:
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using a conveyor having motion relative to a two-dimensional field of view to transport the object; inputting an encoding signal responsive to the motion of the conveyor, from which can be obtained at desired times a corresponding encoder count indicating a relative location of the conveyor; capturing a plurality of frames, each frame of the plurality of frames comprising an image of the two-dimensional field of view; choosing, responsive to a first analysis of the plurality of frames, a plurality of active frames from the plurality of frames, such that the first analysis indicates sufficient evidence that the object is located in the field of view for each frame of the plurality of active frames; obtaining a plurality of capture counts corresponding to the plurality of active frames, each capture count of the plurality of capture counts being responsive to the encoder count corresponding to a time at which the corresponding active frame was captured; computing, responsive to a second analysis of the plurality of active frames, a plurality of location values, each location value of the plurality of location values responsive to a position of the object in the field of view in an associated active frame as computed by the second analysis; determining the mark count of the object using the plurality of location values and the plurality of capture counts, the mark count indicates the encoder count corresponding to a time when the object was located at a fixed mark point; and indicating a location of the object by producing a signal at a report time that occurs when the corresponding encoder count differs from the mark count by a delay count. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system for detecting an object, and determining a mark count of the object, comprising:
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a conveyer, having motion relative to a two-dimensional field of view, that transports the object; an input device that receives an encoding signal responsive to the motion of the conveyer, from which can be obtained at desired times a corresponding encoder count indicating a relative location of the conveyer; an image capture device that captures a plurality of frames, each frame of the plurality of frames comprising an image of the two-dimensional field of view; and an analyzer that chooses, responsive to a first analysis of the plurality of frames, a plurality of active frames from the plurality of frames, such that the first analysis indicates sufficient evidence that the object is located in the field of view for each frame of the plurality of active frames; obtains a plurality of capture counts corresponding to the plurality of active frames, each capture count of the plurality of capture counts being responsive to the encoder count corresponding to a time at which the corresponding active frame was captured; computes, responsive to a second analysis of the plurality of active frames, a plurality of location values, each location value of the plurality of location values responsive to a position of the object in the field of view in an associated active frame as computed by the second analysis; determines the mark count of the object using the plurality of location values and the plurality of capture counts, wherein the a mark count indicates the encoder count corresponding to a time when the object was located at a fixed mark point; and an output signaler that indicates a location of the object by producing a signal at a report time that occurs when the corresponding encoder count differs from the mark count by a delay count. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A system for computing a mark count of an object transported by a transport medium, the transport medium in relative motion to a two-dimensional field of view, the object comprising a set of visible features, the set of visible features containing at least one visible feature;
- the system comprising;
a data processing device programmed to; receive an encoder signal responsive to the relative motion of the transport medium, from which is obtained an encoder count indicating a relative location of the transport medium; receive a plurality of active frames, each frame of the plurality of active frames comprising an image of the two-dimensional field of view; obtain a plurality of capture counts corresponding to the plurality of active frames, each capture count of the plurality of capture counts being responsive to the encoder count corresponding to a time at which the corresponding active frame was captured; compute a plurality of location values based on the plurality of active frames, each location value of the plurality of location values responsive to a position of a visible feature of the set of visible features of the object in an associated active frame; and compute the mark count of the object using at least a portion of the plurality of location values and at least a portion of the plurality of capture counts, wherein the mark count indicates the encoder count corresponding to a time when the object was located at a fixed mark point; and providing a value responsive to the mark count for consumption by an i/o module, wherein the i/o module uses the value responsive to the mark count to selectively signal a location of the object at a report time that occurs when the encoder count differs from the mark count by a delay count. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 39, 40, 41, 43)
- the system comprising;
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37. A computer program product to compute a mark count of an object transported by a transport medium, the transport medium in relative motion with a two-dimensional field of view, the object comprising a set of visible features, the set of visible features containing at least one visible feature, the product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising instructions being operable to cause a data processing apparatus to:
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receive, an encoder signal responsive to the relative motion of the transport medium from which is obtained an encoder count indicating a relative location of the transport medium; receive a plurality of active frames, each frame of the plurality of active frames comprising an image of the two-dimensional field of view; obtain a plurality of capture counts corresponding to the plurality of active frames, each capture count of the plurality of capture counts being responsive to the encoder count corresponding to a time at which the corresponding active frame was captured; compute a plurality of location values based on the plurality of active frames, each location value of the plurality of location values responsive to a position of a visible feature of the set of visible features of the object in an associated active frame; and compute the mark count of the object using at least a portion of the plurality of location values and at least a portion of the plurality of capture counts, wherein the mark count indicates the encoder count corresponding to a time when the object was located at a fixed mark point; and providing a value responsive to the mark count for consumption by an i/o module, wherein the i/o module uses the mark count to selectively signal a location of the object at a report time that occurs when the encoder count differs from the mark count by a delay count. - View Dependent Claims (38, 42, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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Specification