Method and apparatus for adjusting illumination angle
US7142301B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 30, 2004 |
| Grant date | Nov 28, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 30, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2201/0626
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A machine-vision system that provides quick changing and/or automatic adjustment of illumination angle, dispersion, intensity, and/or color of illumination. One such system includes a light source emitting polarized light, a machine-vision imager, an image processor operative to generate a quality parameter based on an image, and one or more of the means described above for selectively directing the light in a predetermined pattern based on its polarization and based on the quality parameter of the image. Some embodiments include an imager, a controllable light source, first and second optical elements that selectively direct light in first and second patterns, and a controller controlling the light characteristics using the first and/or second light patterns. One method includes setting one or more illumination parameters, illuminating the object based on the illumination parameters, obtaining an image, generating a quality parameter of a region of interest, and iterating using a different illumination parameters.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.