Systems, methods and computer program products for processing of coverings such as leather hides and fabrics for furniture and other products

• US 9,157,182 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2012
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Automated Vision LLC
• Original Assignee: Automated Vision LLC
• Inventors: Campbell, Robert L., Leonard, Charles A., Miller, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): GORADIA, SHEFALI DINESH
• Application Number:
  US13/658,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20130176422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,085 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/111, 382/141, 382/199, 353/28, 353/121, 348/95, 26/51, 26/7
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 2005/002 Performing a pattern matching operation
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 5/007 Control means comprising cameras, vision or image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: B26F 1/3813 wherein the tool head is moved in a plane parallel to the work in a coordinate system fixed with respect to the work
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/01 indicating an entity as a function of which control, adjustment or change is performed, i.e. input
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/413 of image
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2553/42 Cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2553/46 Illumination arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/178 Hide, leather or skin
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 9/00 Registering, e.g. orientating, articles; Devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C14B 17/005 Inspecting hides or furs
• CPC Class Codes: C14B 5/00 Clicking, perforating, or cutting leather for shoe parts, e.g. soles, A43D; apparatus not specially adapted for leather B26D
• CPC Class Codes: D06H 7/00 Apparatus or processes for cutting, or otherwise severing, specially adapted for the cutting, or otherwise severing, of textile materials web delivery apparatus incorporating cutting devices B65H35/0006
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/00 Special procedures for taking photographs; Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/54 with projector
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/243 by compensating for image skew or non-uniform image deformations

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer program products for processing coverings such as leather hides and fabrics are provided. A system for processing coverings can include a conveyor having a surface on which a covering can be placed and being rotatable to move the covering in at least one direction. An imaging device can be configured to obtain an image of the covering on the surface of the conveyor. A projector can be configured to project an image onto the surface and the covering. The covering and the projected image can have a positional relationship to one another. A controller can be in communication with the imaging device and projector. The controller can be configured to project and move the projected image of the projector with the covering to maintain a positional relationship of the projected corrected image to the covering upon rotation of the conveyor. Methods are also provided for orienting an image projected onto work surface with a covering on the work surface to align the image and covering.

Claims

1. A system for processing coverings, the system comprising:

conveyor having a surface on which a covering is placeable the conveyor being rotatable to move the covering in at least one direction;

an imaging device configured to obtain an image of the covering on the surface of the conveyor;

a projector configured to project an image onto the surface of the conveyor and the covering on the surface, the covering and the projected image having a positional relationship to one another; and

a controller in communication with the imaging device and projector, the controller configured to project and move the projected image of the projector with the covering to maintain a positional relationship of the projected corrected imago to the covering upon rotation of the conveyor.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller further comprises one or more pointing devices in communication with controller, the one or more pointing devices configured to create virtual markings that are projectable as part of the image from the projector onto the surface and the covering on the surface.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the one or more pointing devices in communication with the controller configured to control the speed of rotation and direction of rotation of the conveyor.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to monitor rotational data of the conveyor and convert the rotational data into a linear speed to move the projected image of projector with the covering to maintain positional relationship of the projected image to the covering.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the controller further comprises an encoder disposed on a rotational component of the conveyor that rotates at a speed that is relational to a speed of rotation of the conveyor and the encoder in communication with the controller, the encoder configured to collect the rotational data to is obtained by the controller.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to correct images taken by the imaging device and configured to correct the images projected by the projector.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to correct images taken by the imaging device of the surface and the covering thereon so that the image taken is compensated to take into account imperfections of the image taking process to increase the dimensional accuracy of the corrected images.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to correct images projected by the projector onto the surface and the covering thereon so that the image projected is compensated to take into account imperfections of the image projecting process to increase the dimensional accuracy of the corrected images.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to correct images projected by the projector onto the surface and the covering thereon so that the image projected is compensated to take into account imperfections of the image projecting process to increase the dimensional accuracy of the corrected images.

10. A method for processing coverings comprising:

placing an actual covering on a surface of a conveyor;

projecting with a projector an image of the same covering onto the actual covering;

rotating the conveyor and the surface of the conveyor so that the actual covering is moved in a direction; and

moving the projected image of the covering with the actual covering to maintain a positional relationship of the projected image to the actual covering as the conveyor is rotated.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising correcting the image projected by the projector so that the corrected image that is projected has increased dimensionally accuracy.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising registering virtual markings through a controller that records boundary lines and imperfections on the covering.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the virtual markings are projectable as part of the image from the projector onto the surface and the actual covering on the surface.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising creating a first coordinate transformation table by taking an image of a known subject having known dimensional features with an imaging device and comparing the known dimensional features of the known subject to the dimensional features of the image of the known subject to identify the differences and capturing the image of the covering and correcting the captured image of the covering using the coordinate transformation table before the captured image is projected.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising creating a second coordinate transformation table by projecting an image of a known subject having known dimensional features onto the surface with the projector, then capturing an image of the projected image with the imaging device, correcting the captured image to account for the imperfections in the imaging device, and comparing the known dimensional features of the known subject to the dimensional features of the corrected captured image of the projected image of the known subject to identify the differences.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a computer readable medium that when executed by a processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps comprising;

controlling a conveyor on which an covering is place on a surface of the conveyor;

projecting with a projector an image of the same covering onto the actual covering that is on the conveyor;

rotating the conveyor and the surface of the conveyor so that the actual covering is moved in a direction; and

moving the projected image of the covering with the actual covering to maintain a positional relationship of the projected image to the actual covering as the conveyor is rotated.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 16, further comprising correcting the image projected by the projector so that the corrected image that is projected has increased dimensionally accuracy.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 17, further comprising registering virtual marking through a controller that records boundary lines and imperfections on the covering.

19. A method for processing coverings comprising:

placing an actual covering on a surface;

projecting with a projector an image of the same covering onto the actual covering;

correcting the image projected by the projector so that the corrected image that is projected has increased dimensionally accuracy; and

moving the corrected projected image to align the corrected projected image with the actual covering on the surface.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the moving of the corrected projected image comprises:

identifying a centroid of the corrected projected image;

taking a second image of the actual covering on a surface, the second image being corrected to increase dimensional accuracy of the second image;

identifying a centroid of the corrected second image so that a centroid of the actual covering as the covering is laying on the surface is identified;

aligning the centroid of the corrected projected image with the centroid of the actual covering on the surface; and

rotating the corrected projected image about the aligned centriods to obtain an alignment between the corrected projected image and the actual covering on the surface.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the moving of the corrected projected image comprises:

identifying a distinguishing feature of the covering in the corrected projected image;

identifying the same distinguishing feature of the covering on the actual covering on the surface;

aligning the identified distinguishing feature in the corrected projected image with the identified distinguishing feature on the actual covering on the surface; and

moving the corrected projected image to obtain an alignment between the corrected projected image and the covering on the surface based on the alignment of the identified distinguishing feature in the corrected project image with the identified distinguishing feature on the covering on the surface.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein moving the corrected projected image to obtain an alignment between the corrected projected image and the covering on the surface comprises rotating the corrected projected image about the aligned distinguishing features to obtain an alignment between the corrected projected image and the covering on the surface.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein moving the corrected projected image to obtain an alignment between the corrected projected image and the covering on the surface comprises:

identifying a second distinguishing feature of the covering in the corrected projected image;

identifying the same second distinguishing feature of the actual covering in the covering on the surface; and

aligning the second identified distinguishing feature in the corrected projected image with the second identified distinguishing feature on the actual covering on the surface to move the corrected projected image to obtain an alignment between the corrected projected image and the actual covering on the surface.

24. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a computer readable medium that when executed by a processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps comprising:

projecting with a projector an image onto an actual covering, the image comprising an image of the same covering;

correcting the image projected by the projector so that the corrected image that is projected has increased dimensionally accuracy; and

moving the corrected projected image to align the corrected projected image with the actual covering on the surface.