Edge measurement video tool parameter-setting user interface

• US 8,689,127 B1
• Filed: 11/05/2012
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
• Inventors: Ding, Yuhua, Delaney, Mark Lawrence, Nahum, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Matt
• Assistant Examiner(s): IPAKCHI, MARYAM M
• Application Number:
  US13/669,333
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8851 Scan or image signal processing specially adapted therefor, e.g. for scan signal adjustment, for detecting different kinds of defects, for compensating for structures, markings, edges G01N21/8806 and G01N21/93 - G01N21/95692 take precedence; optical measurement of dimensions G01B11/00; optical scanning G02B26/10; image transformation G06T3/00; computerised image enhancement G06T5/00; image processing per se for flaw detection G06T7/0002
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10004 Still image; Photographic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20192 Edge enhancement; Edge preservation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30164 Workpiece; Machine component
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/13 Edge detection

Abstract

A user interface for setting parameters for an edge location video tool is provided. The user interface includes a multi-dimensional parameter space representation that allows a user to adjust a single parameter combination indicator in order to adjust multiple edge detection parameters at once. One or more edge feature representation windows may be provided which indicate the edge features detectable by the current configuration of the edge detection parameters.

Claims

1. A method for defining edge location parameters in a machine vision inspection system user interface, the method comprising:

defining a plurality of edge detection parameters for a region of interest (ROI) of an edge location video tool;

displaying a multi-dimensional parameter space representation of possible combinations of the plurality of edge detection parameters;

displaying a parameter combination indicator located within the multidimensional parameter space representation, the parameter combination indicator being configured to indicate a combination of at least two of the plurality of edge detection parameters based on its location such that changing the location of the parameter combination indicator adjusts each of the at least two edge detection parameters at the same time, wherein a configuration of the parameter combination indicator may be modified by a user, the configuration including at least the location of the parameter combination indicator; and

displaying at least one edge feature representation window that represents edge features located in the ROI of the edge location video tool, wherein the at least one edge feature representation window responds to the configuration of the parameter combination indicator as it is modified by a user such that edge features detectable by the combination of edge detection parameters indicated by a current configuration of the parameter combination indicator are automatically updated in the at least one edge feature representation window.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-dimensional parameter space representation comprises a two dimensional grid, each dimension indicating possible values corresponding to one of the plurality of edge detection parameters.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one edge feature representation window comprises a representation of a scanline intensity of the region of interest of the edge location video tool.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one edge feature representation window comprises a representation of a scanline intensity gradient of the region of interest of the edge location video tool.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one edge feature representation window comprises an image of the field of view of the machine vision inspection system and a representation of the edge features detectable by the combination of parameters indicated by a current configuration of the parameter combination indicator superimposed on the image of the field of view.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the representation of the edge features detectable by the combination of parameters indicated by the current configuration of the parameter combination indicator comprises a plurality of detectable edge points, corresponding to a plurality of scan lines across the ROI, superimposed on the image of the field of view.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising a second edge feature representation window which comprises a representation of at least one of a scanline intensity and a scanline intensity gradient of the region of interest of the edge location video tool.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one edge feature representation window and the multi-dimensional parameter space representation are synchronized such that an adjustment or selection in the at least one edge feature representation window results in a corresponding indication in the multi-dimensional parameter space representation.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the adjustment or selection in the at least one edge feature representation window comprises a adjustment or selection of a threshold level, and the corresponding indication in the multi-dimensional parameter space representation comprises a movement of the parameter combination indicator to a location which corresponds to the adjusted or selected threshold level.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one edge feature representation window and a detectable edge number selection element of the user interface are synchronized such that a detectable edge selection in the at least one edge feature representation window results in a corresponding selection of the number of the detectable edge along a scan line direction of the edge location video tool.

11. A system for defining edge parameters, comprising:

a memory for storing programmed instructions;

a processor configured to execute the programmed instructions to perform operations including;

determining a plurality of edge detection parameters for a region of interest (ROI) of an edge location video tool;

displaying a multi-dimensional parameter space representation of possible combinations of the plurality of edge detection parameters;

displaying a parameter combination indicator located within the multidimensional parameter space representation, the parameter combination indicator being configured to indicated a combination of at least two of the plurality of edge detection parameters based on its location such that changing the location of the parameter combination indicator adjusts each of the at least two edge detection parameters at the same time, wherein a configuration of the parameter combination indicator may be modified by a user, the configuration including at least the location of the parameter combination indicator; and

displaying at least one edge feature representation window that represents edge features located in the ROI of the edge location video tool, wherein the at least one edge feature representation window responds to the configuration of the parameter combination indicator as it is modified by a user such that edge features detectable by the combination of edge detection parameters indicated by a current configuration of the parameter combination indicator are automatically updated in the at least one edge feature representation window.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the multi-dimensional parameter space representation comprises a two dimensional grid, each dimension indicating possible values corresponding to one of the plurality of edge detection parameters.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one edge feature representation window comprises a representation of at least one of a scanline intensity or scanline intensity gradient of the region of interest of the edge location video tool.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one edge feature representation window comprises an image of the field of view of the machine vision inspection system and a representation of the edge features detectable by the combination of parameters indicated by a current configuration of the parameter combination indicator superimposed on the image of the field of view.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium with instructions stored thereon that are executable by a processor to perform operations of:

determining a plurality of edge detection parameters for a region of interest (ROI) of an edge location video tool;

displaying a multi-dimensional parameter space representation of possible combinations of the plurality of edge detection parameters;

displaying a parameter combination indicator located within the multidimensional parameter space representation, the parameter combination indicator being configured to indicate a combination of at least two of the plurality of edge detection parameters based on its location such that changing the location of the parameter combination indicator adjusts each of the at least two edge detection parameters at the same time, wherein a configuration of the parameter combination indicator may be modified by a user, the configuration including at least the location of the parameter combination indicator; and

displaying at least one edge feature representation window that represents edge features located in the ROI of the edge location video tool, wherein the at least one edge feature representation window responds to the configuration of the parameter combination indicator as it is modified by a user such that edge features detectable by the combination of edge detection parameters indicated by a current configuration of the parameter combination indicator are automatically updated in the at least one edge feature representation window.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the multi-dimensional parameter space representation comprises a two dimensional grid, each dimension indicating possible values corresponding to one of the plurality of edge detection parameters.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one edge feature representation window comprises a representation of at least one of a scanline intensity or scanline intensity gradient of the region of interest of the edge location video tool.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one edge feature representation window comprises an image of the field of view of the machine vision inspection system and a representation of the edge features detectable by the combination of parameters indicated by a current configuration of the parameter combination indicator superimposed on the image of the field of view.