System and method for controlling illumination in a vision system

• US 8,730,383 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2011
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cognex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cognex Corporation
• Inventors: Burrell, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Henn, Timothy J
• Application Number:
  US13/308,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20130135521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 348/187, 348/188, 348/370, 348/371, 396/155
• US Class Current: 348/371
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1092 sensing by means of TV-scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/663 for controlling interchangeable camera parts based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means

Abstract

This invention provides a system and method for enabling control of an illuminator having predetermined operating parameters by a vision system processor/core based upon stored information regarding parameters that are integrated with the illuminator. The parameters are retrieved by the processor, and are used to control the operation of the illuminator and/or the camera during image acquisition. In an embodiment, the stored parameters are a discrete numerical or other value that corresponds to the illuminator type. The discrete value maps to a corresponding value in look-up table/database associated with the camera that contains parameter sets associated with each of a plurality of values in the database. The data associated with the discrete value in the camera contains the necessary parameters or settings for that illuminator type. In other embodiments, some or all of the actual parameter information can be stored with the illuminator and retrieved by the camera processor.

Claims

1. A system for controlling illumination of a vision system camera having an image sensor comprising:

a vision system camera having an image sensor that performs image acquisition;

an illuminator coupled to the vision system camera;

an information source operatively connected with the illuminator that stores predetermined information indicative of parameters of the illuminator;

a controller being constructed and arranged to read and identify the predetermined information and control at least one of (a) the image acquisition by the image sensor and (b) signals provided to control the illuminator based upon the parameters indicated for the illuminator; and

wherein the predetermined information comprises a value that corresponds to a set of parameters for a predetermined type of illuminator, the set of parameters being stored with respect to the controller within a memory of the vision system camera.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the illuminator is mounted on a housing of the vision system camera.

3. The system as set froth in claim 1 wherein the information source comprises an analog resistor arrangement integrated with the illuminator, the resistor arrangement having a predetermined resistance value associated with the predetermined type of illuminator.

4. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the memory comprises a data store having a plurality of entries, each with discrete parameters associated with a respective type of illuminator.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the parameters of the illuminator include at least one of illuminator operating current, operating voltage, illumination intensity, and timing.

6. The system as set forth in claim 4 wherein the controller is constructed and arranged to retrieve the parameters from a data store integrated with the illuminator.

7. A system for controlling illumination of a vision system camera having an image sensor comprising:

a vision system camera having an image sensor that performs image acquisition and a vision system processor;

an illuminator removably coupled to the vision system camera;

an information source integrated with the illuminator that stores predetermined information indicative of parameters of the illuminator;

a controller, integrated with a processor core of the vision system camera, being constructed and arranged to read and identify the predetermined information and control at least one of (a) the image acquisition by the image sensor and (b) signals provided to control the illuminator based upon the parameters indicated for the illuminator; and

wherein the predetermined information comprises a value that corresponds to a set of parameters for a predetermined type of illuminator, the set of parameters being stored with respect to the controller within a memory of the vision system camera.

8. The system as set forth in claim 7 wherein the illuminator is mounted on a housing of the vision system camera.

9. The system as set forth in claim 7 wherein the information source comprises an analog resistor arrangement integrated with the illuminator, the resistor arrangement having a predetermined resistance value associated with the predetermined type of illuminator.

10. The system as set forth in claim 7 wherein the memory comprises a data store having a plurality of entries, each with discrete parameters associated with a respective type of illuminator.

11. The system as set forth in claim 7 wherein the parameters of the illuminator include at least one of illuminator operating current, operating voltage, illumination intensity, and timing.

12. The system as set forth in claim 7 wherein the illuminator is mounted external of and remote from the housing and is interconnected thereto by a communication link.

13. A method for controlling illumination of a vision system camera having an image sensor comprising the steps of:

coupling a first illuminator to the vision system camera;

accessing, by a controller integrated with a processor core of the vision system camera, a first information source that is operatively connected with the first illuminator and that stores predetermined information indicative of parameters of the first illuminator;

reading and identifying the predetermined information and controlling at least one of (a) the image acquisition by the image sensor and (b) signals provided to control the first illuminator based upon the parameters indicated for the first illuminator; and

wherein the step of reading and identifying includes retrieving a numerical value representative of a type of illuminator and associating the numerical value with the parameters stored on a data store integrated with the processor core.

14. The method as set forth in claim 13 further comprising decoupling the first illuminator and coupling a second illuminator to the vision system camera, and

accessing, by the controller integrated with the processor core of the vision system camera, a second information source that is operatively connected with the second illuminator and that stores predetermined information indicative of parameters of the second illuminator, and

reading and identifying the predetermined information indicative of parameters of the second illuminator, and controlling at least one of (a) the image acquisition by the image sensor and (b) signals provided to control the second illuminator based upon the parameters indicated for the second illuminator.