Patents by Inventor Curtis W. Stienstra

Curtis W. Stienstra has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • System and method for improving machine vision in the presence of ambient light
    Patent number: 8836672
    Abstract: A system and method utilizing two image sensors to simultaneously capture images of a FOV (field of view). The image sensors are arranged along the same optical path for viewing the FOV. The FOV is illuminated by an illuminator of a specific frequency band. An image is captured by the first image sensor which has a filter that passes at least a portion of the light of the frequency band of the illuminator. An image is captured by the second image sensor that has a filter to pass a band of frequencies adjacent to, but generally not including the frequency band of the illuminator. The images may be manipulated, for example, to provide enhanced performance and/or compensate for variables in the system. A processor subtracts the images to produce an image that represents light reflected back from the illuminator, excluding ambient light at the frequency of the illuminator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: DornerWorks, Ltd.
    Inventors: Curtis W. Stienstra, Albert A. Cornelius, Todd M. Burghgraef, Nathan S. Meyer, Steven H. VanderLeest
  • SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPROVING MACHINE VISION IN THE PRESENCE OF AMBIENT LIGHT
    Publication number: 20120200535
    Abstract: A system and method utilizing two image sensors to simultaneously capture images of a FOV (field of view). The image sensors are arranged along the same optical path for viewing the FOV. The FOV is illuminated by an illuminator of a specific frequency band. An image is captured by the first image sensor which has a filter that passes at least a portion of the light of the frequency band of the illuminator. An image is captured by the second image sensor that has a filter to pass a band of frequencies adjacent to, but generally not including the frequency band of the illuminator. The images may be manipulated, for example, to provide enhanced performance and/or compensate for variables in the system. A processor subtracts the images to produce an image that represents light reflected back from the illuminator, excluding ambient light at the frequency of the illuminator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: DORNERWORKS, LTD.
    Inventors: Curtis W. Stienstra, Albert A. Cornelius, Todd M. Burghgraef, Nathan S. Meyer, Steven H. VanderLeest