Patents by Inventor Edward A. Collins, Jr.

Edward A. Collins, Jr. 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).

  • Machine vision system for identifying and assessing features of an article
    Patent number: 6408429
    Abstract: An improved vision system is provided for identifying and assessing features of an article. Systems are provided for developing feature assessment programs, which, when deployed, may inspect parts and/or provide position information for guiding automated manipulation of such parts. The improved system is easy to use and facilitates the development of versatile and flexible article assessment programs. In one aspect, the system comprises a set of step tools from which a set of step objects is instantiated. The set of step tools may comprise machine vision step objects that comprise routines for processing an image of the article to provide article feature information. A control flow data structure and a data flow data structure may each be provided. The control flow data structure charts a flow of control among the step objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2002
    Assignee: Cognex Corporation
    Inventors: Cyril C. Marrion, Jr., Ivan A. Bachelder, Edward A. Collins, Jr., Masayoki Kawata, Sateesh G. Nadabar
  • Machine vision system for identifying and assessing features of an article
    Patent number: 6094526
    Abstract: An improved vision system is provided for identifying and assessing features of an article. Systems are provided for developing feature assessment programs, which, when deployed, may inspect parts and/or provide position information for guiding automated manipulation of such parts. The improved system is easy to use and facilitates the development of versatile and flexible article assessment programs. In one aspect, the system comprises a set of step tools from which a set of step objects is instantiated. The set of step tools may comprise machine vision step objects that comprise routines for processing an image of the article to provide article feature information. A control flow data structure and a data flow data structure may each be provided. The control flow data structure charts a flow of control among the step objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2000
    Assignee: Cognex Corporation
    Inventors: Cyril C. Marrion, Jr., Ivan A. Bachelder, Edward A. Collins, Jr., Masayoki Kawata, Sateesh G. Nadabar
  • Miniature lightweight digital camera for robotic vision system applications
    Patent number: 4727471
    Abstract: A robot arm with a vision system affixed thereto. A gripper acquires and object at an acquisition site and carries the object to a target site. During travel the position of the object is determined by the vision system viewing the object in two positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 23, 1988
    Assignee: The Board of Governors for Higher Education, State of Rhode Island and Providence
    Inventors: Morris R. Driels, Edward A. Collins, Jr.