Structure for recognizing article to be collected, and collection information recognition apparatus and collection processing apparatus that use the structure

• US 8,351,681 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2010
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Koike, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): AZARIAN, SEYED H
• Application Number:
  US12/913,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20110235852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 382/10, 382106-108, 382140-143, 382/154, 382/162, 382/168, 382/173, 382/181, 382191-199, 382/209, 382219-224, 382/232, 382/254, 382/274, 382/276, 382285-291, 382/305, 382/312, 382/321, 348/86, 700/245, 347/242, 356/498, 356/615, 356/4.1
• US Class Current: 382/141
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1679 characterised by the tasks executed
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30164 Workpiece; Machine component
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30208 Marker matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/245 by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/06 Recognition of objects for industrial automation

Abstract

A structure for recognizing an article to be collected includes a recognition reference plane that is provided in a part of a holding base which holds the article to be collected with a predetermined positional relationship and that serves as a reference used for recognizing layout information about a position and an attitude of the holding base. The structure also includes a recognition indicator element which is placed on the recognition reference plane in such a way that an imaging tool captures an image of the recognition indicator element and which has four or more unit pattern marks at a predetermined positional relationship, in which each of the unit pattern marks is formed such that a density pattern sequentially changes with an increasing distance from a center position toward a periphery of the mark.

Claims

1. A structure for recognizing an article to be collected, wherein the structure is recognized by capturing a position and an attitude of the article to be recognized by an imaging tool, comprising:

a recognition indicator plane that is included in the article to be recognized and that has four or more unit pattern marks at a predetermined positional relationship, in which each of the unit pattern marks is formed such that a density pattern sequentially changes with an increasing distance from a center position toward a periphery of the mark; and

a recognition indicator element indicates a change in density pattern of each of the unit pattern marks in the form of a dot image,

wherein the position and the attitude of the article to be recognized are recognized by capturing the recognition indicator plane by the imaging tool.

2. The structure for recognizing an article to be collected according to claim 1, wherein the recognition indicator element has four unit pattern marks provided on a single plane of the holding base or the article to be recognized made up of an article to be collected.

3. The structure for recognizing an article to be collected according to claim 1, wherein the recognition indicator element is provided on a card that is removably attached to the holding base or the article to be recognized made up of an article to be collected.

4. The structure of recognizing an article to be collected according to claim 1, wherein the recognition indicator element has the four unit pattern marks or more and type indication marks used for recognizing type information other than the layout information about the position and the attitude of the holding base or the article to be recognized made up of an article to be collected.

5. A structure for recognizing an article to be collected, comprising:

a recognition reference plane that is provided in a portion of an article to be collected and that serves as a reference used for recognizing layout information about a position and an attitude of the article to be collected; and

a recognition indicator element which is provided on the recognition reference plane in such a way that the imaging tool captures an image of the recognition indicator element and which has four or more unit pattern marks with a predetermined position relationship, each of which is formed such that the density pattern sequentially changes with an increasing distance from the center position toward the periphery of the mark,

wherein the recognition indicator element indicates a change in density pattern of each of the unit pattern marks in the form of a dot image.

6. The structure for recognizing an article to be collected according to claim 5, wherein the recognition indicator element has four unit pattern marks provided on a single plane of the holding base or the article to be recognized made up of an article to be collected.

7. The structure for recognizing an article to be collected according to claim 5, wherein the recognition indicator element is provided on a card that is removably attached to the holding base or the article to be recognized made up of an article to be collected.

8. The structure of recognizing an article to be collected according to claim 5, wherein the recognition indicator element has the four unit pattern marks or more and type indication marks used for recognizing type information other than the layout information about the position and the attitude of the holding base or the article to be recognized made up of an article to be collected.

9. A collection information recognition apparatus comprising:

a recognition indicator element that is provided in a portion of the holding base for holding the article to be collected with a predetermined positional relationship or a portion of the

article to be collected and that has four unit pattern marks or more, with a predetermined positional relationship, formed in such a way that the density pattern sequentially changes with an increasing distance from the center position toward the periphery of the mark;

an imaging tool that captures an image of the recognition indicator element placed opposite the holding base or the article to be collected; and

a layout information recognition block that recognizes layout information about the position and the attitude of the holding base or the article to be recognized made up of an article to be collected, by use of at least imaging information about the recognition indicator element whose image has been captured by the imaging tool,

wherein the recognition indicator element indicates a change in density pattern of each of the unit pattern marks in the form of a dot image.

10. A collection processing apparatus comprising:

a collection information recognition apparatus according to claim 9;

a control block that generates a control signal from layout information, recognized by the collection information recognition apparatus, about a position and an attitude of a holding base or a position and an attitude of an article to be recognized made up of an article to be collected and controls collection processing operation for the article to be collected; and

a processing mechanism that performs operation for collecting the article to be collected according to a control signal generated by the control block.

11. The collection processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the processing mechanism doubles also as an imaging tool support mechanism.