Distributed vision system with multi-phase synchronization
First Claim
1. A method for synchronizing results of a plurality of vision system processors, that processes acquired images, to generate results therefrom, comprising the steps of:
- providing at least a first slave camera bank including at least one (a) master vision system processor and at least one (b) slave vision system processor interconnected thereto;
providing a master camera bank including at least one (c) master vision system processor and at least one (d) slave vision system processor, the master vision system processor of the master bank being interconnected with the master vision system processor of the slave camera bank;
in the master bank, receiving in each inspection cycle a trigger, and in response thereto, acquiring and processing an image with the (c) master vision system processor and issuing a trigger signal from a master synchronization process associated with the (c) master vision system processor over a communication link, the signal including a unique inspection cycle identifier to each of the (d) slave vision system processor, the (a) master vision system processor and the (b) slave vision system processor;
after acquiring and processing images with each of the (d) slave vision system processor, the (a) master vision system processor and the (b) slave vision system processor, consolidating the results of the (c) master vision system processor and the (d) slave vision system processor, and in the first slave bank, consolidating the results of the (a) master vision system processor and the (b) slave vision system processor and transmitting the consolidated results with the unique inspection cycle identifier to the master synchronization process over the communication link; and
with the master synchronization process, determining if the consolidated results from the master bank and the consolidated results of the first slave bank are complete based upon known time sequence between a timestamp on each result and that each of the inspection cycle identifiers is the same, and if the results are complete and the same, transmitting the complete results to a predetermined destination.
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Abstract
This invention provides a system and method for synchronization of vision system inspection results produced by each of a plurality of processors that includes a first bank (that can be a “master” bank) containing a master vision system processor and at least one slave vision system processor. At least a second bank (that can be one of a plurality of “slave” banks) contains a master vision system processor and at least one slave vision system processor. Each vision system processor in each bank generates results from an image acquired and processed in a given inspection cycle. The inspection cycle can be based on an external trigger or other trigger signal, and it can enable some or all of the processors/banks to acquire and process images at a given time/cycle. In a given cycle. each of the multiple banks can be positioned to acquire an image of a respective region of a plurality of succeeding regions on a moving line. A synchronization process (a) generates a unique identifier and that passes a trigger signal with the unique identifier associated with the master processor in the first bank to each of the slave processor in the master bank and each of the master and slave processor and (b) receives consolidated results via the master processor of the second bank, having the unique identifier and consolidated results from the results from the first bank. The process then (c) consolidates the results for transmission to a destination if the results are complete and the unique identifier of each of the results is the same.
27 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for synchronizing results of a plurality of vision system processors, that processes acquired images, to generate results therefrom, comprising the steps of:
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providing at least a first slave camera bank including at least one (a) master vision system processor and at least one (b) slave vision system processor interconnected thereto; providing a master camera bank including at least one (c) master vision system processor and at least one (d) slave vision system processor, the master vision system processor of the master bank being interconnected with the master vision system processor of the slave camera bank; in the master bank, receiving in each inspection cycle a trigger, and in response thereto, acquiring and processing an image with the (c) master vision system processor and issuing a trigger signal from a master synchronization process associated with the (c) master vision system processor over a communication link, the signal including a unique inspection cycle identifier to each of the (d) slave vision system processor, the (a) master vision system processor and the (b) slave vision system processor; after acquiring and processing images with each of the (d) slave vision system processor, the (a) master vision system processor and the (b) slave vision system processor, consolidating the results of the (c) master vision system processor and the (d) slave vision system processor, and in the first slave bank, consolidating the results of the (a) master vision system processor and the (b) slave vision system processor and transmitting the consolidated results with the unique inspection cycle identifier to the master synchronization process over the communication link; and with the master synchronization process, determining if the consolidated results from the master bank and the consolidated results of the first slave bank are complete based upon known time sequence between a timestamp on each result and that each of the inspection cycle identifiers is the same, and if the results are complete and the same, transmitting the complete results to a predetermined destination. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A system for synchronizing results of a plurality of vision system processors that process acquired images to generate results therefrom, comprising:
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a first slave camera bank including at least one (a) master vision system processor and at least one (b) slave vision system processor interconnected thereto; a master camera bank including at least one (c) master vision system processor and at least one (d) slave vision system processor, the master vision system processor of the master bank being interconnected with the master vision system processor of the slave camera bank, the master bank including an image acquisition process that receives, in each inspection cycle, a trigger, and in response thereto, acquires and process an image with the (c) master vision system processor and a master synchronization process that issues a trigger signal associated with the (c) master vision system processor over a communication link, the signal including a unique inspection cycle identifier to each of the (d) slave vision system processor, the (a) master vision system processor and the (b) slave vision system processor; a consolidation process that, after an image is acquired and processed with each of the (d) slave vision system processor, the (a) master vision system processor and the (b) slave vision system processor, consolidates the results of the (c) master vision system processor and the (d) slave vision system processor, and in the first slave bank, consolidating the results of the (a) master vision system processor and the (b) slave vision system processor and transmits the consolidated results with the unique inspection cycle identifier to the master synchronization process over the communication link, wherein the master synchronization process determines if the consolidated results from the master bank and the consolidated results of the first slave bank are complete based upon a positional relationship between each positional reference on each result and that each of the inspection cycle identifiers is the same, and if the results are complete and the same, transmitting the complete results to a predetermined destination. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system for synchronization of vision system inspection results produced by each of a plurality of processors, comprising:
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a first bank containing a master vision system processor and at least one slave vision system processor each generating results from one or more images acquired and processed in an inspection cycle; a second bank containing a master vision system processor and at least one slave vision system processor each generating results from one or more images acquired and processed in an inspection cycle; a synchronization process that (a) generates a unique identifier and that passes a trigger signal with the unique identifier associated with the master processor in the first bank to each of the slave processor in the master bank and each of the master and slave processor and (b) receives consolidated results via the master processor of the second bank, having the unique identifier and consolidated results from the results from first bank, and (c) consolidates the results for transmission to a destination if the results are complete and the unique identifier of each of the results is the same, by determining if the results are complete based upon known time sequence between a timestamp on each result.
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Specification