System and method for automatically inspecting arrays of geometric targets
US6459448B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 19, 2000 |
| Grant date | Oct 1, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 19, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T2207/30121
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A system and method for using electronically acquired imagery from a one-dimensional camera, to inspect an object for tolerance, color, blemishes, cracks or a wide variety of manufacturing defects that might be present in an object. The method used to detect manufacturing defects includes an algorithm for analyzing the pattern of annular elements in an array and detecting deviations from numerical acceptance norms, such as diameter, spacing, and symmetry, for the annular elements. In the inventive system, a one-dimensional video camera captures a single one-dimensional “slice” of target shape of an object with every line it scans. Each slice is broken down into “segments” consisting of sets of adjacent pixels that are similar in brightness, hue, or both. The one-dimensional camera delivers the segments to the system where they are sequenced. The system identifies every segment to determine what feature of the target shape the segment represents. Thereafter, predefined rules are used to determine if each identified segment deviates from numerical acceptance norms. The inventive method is thus used to analyze periodic arrays of any arbitrary target shape, ther…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.