Manufacturing Patents (Class 348/86)
  • Patent number: 8649894
    Abstract: A method for controlling a board stopping position includes a calculation step for calculating an extended length of the electronic component mounted on the board and extended from the board end portion in the transfer direction by one of the electronic component mounting machines; and a correcting and stopping step for correcting a stopping timing of the conveyer belt to be stopped in response to the detection signal which is outputted from the board sensor and stopping the board at the mounting position, based on the calculated extended length of the electronic component in a subsequent stage electronic component mounting machine arranged subsequent to the one of the electronic component mounting machines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Machine Mfg. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohiko Hattori, Hiroshi Tsuta
  • Patent number: 8648895
    Abstract: A control processing unit simultaneously drives cameras to produce images of a measuring object, the control processing unit searches corresponding point on a comparative image produced by one of the cameras for a representative point in a reference image produced by the other camera, and the control processing unit computes a three-dimensional coordinate corresponding to a coordinate using the coordinate of each point correlated by the search. The control processing unit also obtains a shift amount at the corresponding point specified by the search to an epipolar line specified based on a coordinate of a representative point on the reference image side or a parameter indicating a relationship between the cameras, and the control processing unit supplies the shift amount as an evaluation value indicating accuracy of three-dimensional measurement along with three-dimensional measurement result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Omron Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Ikeda, Shiro Fujieda, Hiroshi Yano
  • Patent number: 8643714
    Abstract: A test device is for testing display parameters of an electronic product with a page browsing function. The electronic product stores display times of a number of standard frames which selected from a standard video file. The standard video file includes frames record the play process of a testing file being played by a standard electronic product. The test device controls a video capturing unit to capture an original video file which includes frames to records the playing process of the electronic product. The electronic product searches matching frames of the number of standard frames in the original video file. Thus the parameters of the electronic product can be determined by display times of the matching frames in the video file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignees: Fu Tai Hua Industry (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yu-Kai Xiong, Xin Lu, Shih-Fang Wong, Dong-sheng Lv, Xin-Hua Li, Yu-Yong Zhang, Jian-Jian Zhu
  • Publication number: 20140015956
    Abstract: An image processing device is connected to an imaging unit. The imaging unit has an overlapping region in an imaging range before and after continuous imaging. The image processing device includes: an interface that receives a plurality of captured images obtained by the imaging unit; a measurement unit configured to acquire a measurement result of a subject in the captured image by performing measurement processing to the captured image; a synthesis unit configured to generate a synthesized image by synthesizing the plurality of captured images such that the captured images overlap with one another within an overlapping range corresponding to the overlapping region in imaging order; and an output unit configured to output the synthesized image, information indicating the overlapping range correlated with the synthesized image, and information indicating the measurement result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro FUJIKAWA, Koji SHIMADA, Kakuto SHIRANE, Katsuhiro SHIMODA, Yoshihiro MORITOKI, Yasuyuki IKEDA, Hiroyuki HAZEYAMA
  • Publication number: 20140009599
    Abstract: Carbon nanostructure growth on a substrate can be evaluated by visual imaging techniques. Methods for imaging carbon nanostructures on a substrate can include providing a plurality of carbon nanostructures infused to a substrate; acquiring an image of the plurality of carbon nanostructures while they are infused to the substrate; converting the image of the plurality of carbon nanostructures into a binary image, the binary image comprising a carbon nanostructure/substrate portion and an extraneous portion; and correlating the carbon nanostructure/substrate portion of the binary image with an amount of carbon nanostructures infused to the substrate. An illustrative substrate can be one or more fibers onto which carbon nanostructures are infused.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Inventors: Jordan T. Ledford, Harry C. Malecki, Andy Chiu
  • Publication number: 20140002631
    Abstract: A medicine inspection device includes: an inspection unit on which a medicine for inspection is disposed, the medicine being contained in a sachet; a shooting means capable of photographing the sachet disposed on the inspection unit; and a medicine information detector capable of detecting at least either of a quantity or type of the medicine based on an image obtained by the shooting means. The inspection unit includes a backlight with illumination areas located dottedly per predetermined pitch which is capable of illuminating the sachet from backside when photographing. The medicine information detector is further configured to implement: a basic image acquisition process for acquiring a basic image; an inspection area defining process for defining the area of inspection; an inspection image acquisition process for acquiring the inspection image; and an image inspection process for performing image inspection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2013
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: YUYAMA MFG. CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirokazu AMANO, Koji ITO, Hiromichi TSUDA, Yasuyuki YOSHIKAWA, Keigo NAKAMURA, Dai SHIMIZUBE
  • Publication number: 20130342676
    Abstract: A medicine inspection device includes an inspection unit for inspecting a medicine disposed on the inspection unit; a vibrator to impart vibration to the medicine disposed on the inspection unit; and a shooting means capable of photographing the medicine disposed on said inspection unit. The medicine inspection device further includes a medicine information detector capable of detecting at least the quantity or type of the medicine based on an image obtained by the shooting means; and a distribution detector configured to detect a distribution of the medicine on the inspection unit based on the image obtained by said shooting means, wherein the vibrator is configured to operate based on a result of detection by the distributor detector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2013
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Inventors: Hirokazu AMANO, Koji ITO, Hiromichi TSUDA, Yasuyuki YOSHIKAWA, Keigo NAKAMURA, Dai SHIMIZUBE
  • Publication number: 20130335552
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for mask inspection and to a mask inspection installation. A method according to the invention involves a lighting system lighting a mask with a lighting beam pencil, and said mask being observed with an observation beam pencil which is directed onto a sensor arrangement, wherein the light hitting the sensor arrangement is evaluated in order to check the mapping effect of the mask. The lighting system produces a spot of light with limited refraction on the mask, and during the evaluation of the light hitting the sensor arrangement a finite component of the light setting out from the mask to produce the observation beam pencil is disregarded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2011
    Publication date: December 19, 2013
    Applicants: CARL ZEISS AG, CARL ZEISS SMT GMBH
    Inventors: Heiko Feldmann, Michael Totzeck
  • Publication number: 20130329036
    Abstract: A method for the rapid optical inspection of stents is described wherein a stent is mounted on a mandrel with optical properties suitable for machine vision inspection of the stent is conveyed to a first inspection station containing a camera and illumination light source. A driving member securely contacts the mandrel and the stent is rotated in view of the inspection camera. The stent is then transferred to a second location for further operations. A unique identification tag is associated with each mandrel and tracks the location of the stent through the inspection process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2013
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Inventors: Daniel Freifeld, John Roberts, John B. Burnett, George Linscott
  • Publication number: 20130329035
    Abstract: The present invention provides a structure which reduces erroneous estimation when a state of a work is estimated. An image processing apparatus includes: a camera which inputs an image of a work; a work state estimation unit which estimates a state of the work from the image which has been input by the camera; an occurrence probability storage unit which stores an occurrence probability that is previously associated with each state of the work; and a reliability calculation unit which calculates reliability for the estimated state of the work, based on the state of the work estimated by the work state estimation unit and the occurrence probability which corresponds to the state of the work.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2013
    Publication date: December 12, 2013
    Inventor: Takahisa Yamamoto
  • Publication number: 20130314530
    Abstract: Systems and methods trigger an image acquisition of an object using motion data communicated from a motion controller on a network, the motion controller coupled to a motion drive. A camera, upon receiving motion data from the motion controller, uses a virtual axis application to plan the movement of a virtual axis for a motion cycle, the virtual axis allowing an acquisition trigger rate to be calculated by the camera that follows movement of the object caused by the motion drive. Based on the calculated acquisition trigger rate, the camera generates an acquisition trigger signal for triggering the image acquisition of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2012
    Publication date: November 28, 2013
    Applicant: COGNEX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Dale Peterson
  • Publication number: 20130307962
    Abstract: An apparatus for acquiring a two-dimensional image of an external surface of a three-dimensional object is described. The apparatus includes a conveyor for supporting and displacing the object, a camera for capturing images of portions of the object surface, and a friction member for rotating the object. The camera is configured to capture images corresponding to successive exposed portions of the object surface, and to sequentially capture the images as respective single frames. The apparatus further includes electronic control unit adapted to read out a sub-frame from the single frame, store said sub-frame, and assemble successive sub-frames into an assembled frame corresponding to a two-dimensional image of an unpeeled surface area of the object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Inventors: Mark Robson Humphries, Paul Antony Merritt, Stefaan Jaak Vanquickenborne
  • Patent number: 8576278
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a system for monitoring dynamic stability of micro machine is provided in this invention, wherein an image-capturing device and an analytic device are included. The image-capturing device captures an image on a surface of a work piece milled by the micro machine. The analytic device comprises an image input interface, means for gray-scaling an image, means for analyzing abnormal gray-scaled value of the gray-scaled image, and means for analyzing numbers of veins of the gray-scaled image. This invention also provides a method for monitoring dynamic stability of micro machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Chung Yuan Christian University
    Inventors: Shih-Ming Wang, Chia-You Chung, Chih-Chun Lin
  • Publication number: 20130286185
    Abstract: A real time monitoring device includes a light source, a screen, a camera module, and a processor. The light source emits incident light beams to a micro structure of a preprocessed workpiece to form a number of pre-compared diffraction light beams. The pre-compared diffraction light beams reach the screen to form a number of pre-compared light spots. The camera module captures the pre-compared light spots to obtain a pre-compared image having a zero order pre-compared dot and a number of non-zero order pre-compared dots. The processor stores a standard distance between a particular non-zero order standard dot and the zero order standard dot, and calculates a pre-compared distance between the zero order pre-compared dot and a particular non-zero order pre-compared dot, and calculates the difference value between the pre-compared distance and the standard distance to determine whether a blade processing the preprocessed workpiece is deviating in real time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2012
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventor: PO-CHOU CHEN
  • Publication number: 20130265410
    Abstract: A color vision inspection system to inspect quality of a vehicle includes at least one camera to capture an inspection image of an inspection target and at least one inspection item on a vehicle. The color vision inspection system also includes a computer communicating with the at least one camera to analyze the inspection image with a calibration image and with CPK statistical analysis determine a percentage difference in a match of the inspection image to the calibration image to conclude whether the inspection item passed the inspection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2013
    Publication date: October 10, 2013
    Inventor: Louis Scott Bolt
  • Patent number: 8553082
    Abstract: A distortion inspecting apparatus, which inspects perspective distortion of a transparent object, includes a projector that projects a plurality of display points arranged at predetermined intervals, a screen that displays an image projected by the projector thereon and allows the image to pass therethrough, a pedestal that disposes the transparent object at a position where the image passed through the screen, a camera that captures the image that passed through the transparent object, and a control device that stores a reference position coordinate of the image that passed through a reference transparent object, compares the reference position coordinate with an inspection position coordinate of the image that passed through the transparent object as an object to be inspected, and calculates a displacement quantity of the reference position coordinate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: University of Miyazaki
    Inventor: Kikuhito Kawasue
  • Publication number: 20130255096
    Abstract: A gas blowing cellulose pulp dryer is operative for drying a web of cellulose pulp using gas supplied from gas outlets of blow boxes of a first drying section. The cellulose pulp dryer has an inspection device with at least a first radiation sensor arranged to detect reflected radiation at the first drying section to detect at least one of a position of the web during operation of the dryer, and the occurrence of any residue of the web.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2011
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: ANDRITZ TECHNOLOGY AND ASSET MANAGEMENT GMBH
    Inventors: Roland Kampris, Christer Olsson, Frank Jonsson, Arne Karlsson
  • Patent number: 8547428
    Abstract: A pipe inspection system employing a camera head assembly incorporating multiple local condition sensors, an integral dipole Sonde, a three-axis compass, and a three-axis accelerometer. The camera head assembly terminates a multi-channel push-cable that relays local condition sensor and video information to a processor and display subsystem. A cable storage structure includes data connection and wireless capability with tool storage and one or more battery mounts for powering remote operation. During operation, the inspection system may produce a two- or three-dimensional (3D) map of the pipe or conduit from local condition sensor data and video image data acquired from structured light techniques or LED illumination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Seescan, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark S. Olsson, David A. Cox
  • Publication number: 20130242081
    Abstract: A coke oven monitoring system capable of quantitatively monitoring changes in the state of the furnace walls in a coke oven with good accuracy has: an oven width measurement device (6) that measures the oven width; an in-furnace observation device (7) that photographs the oven walls; and a computer (10) that analyzes oven width data measured by the oven width measurement device, and oven wall image data captured by the in-furnace observation device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2011
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: KANSAI COKE AND CHEMICALS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hironobu Inamasu, Hideo Matsushita, Takashi Yoshihara
  • Patent number: 8538127
    Abstract: An image processing method and an image processing system can perform image processing with higher accuracy while a gloss is removed without immobilizing a continuously moving inspection object. The image processing apparatus images the inspection object moving in a predetermined direction plural times with an imaging unit disposed in a predetermined position while a visual field of the imaging unit is lighted by a lighting source disposed in a constant relative position with respect to the imaging unit, aligns plural images with the inspection object as a reference by searching sequentially a region indicating at least part of the inspection object between the two images in the plural images acquired by a series of imagings with the imaging unit, and produces a composite image from the aligned plural images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: OMRON Corporation
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Sakanaga, Yutaka Kato
  • Publication number: 20130229509
    Abstract: In order to measure a three-dimensional shape, feature information is read from a database. A board is transferred to a measurement position. A measurement head is transferred to an inspection area of the board. Light of a first lighting device for three-dimensional measurement and light of a second lighting device for two-dimensional measurement is illuminated onto the inspection area to photograph a first reflection image and a second reflection image that are reflected from the inspection area. The inspection area is realigned by comparing the feature information with at least one of the photographed first and second reflection images to inspect distortion of the inspection area. The realigned inspection area is inspected. Thus, the three-dimensional shape may be precisely measured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 10, 2013
    Publication date: September 5, 2013
    Applicant: KOH YOUNG TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventors: Min-Young KIM, Bong-Ha HWANG
  • Publication number: 20130215256
    Abstract: A system for detecting characteristics of a surface includes multiple sources of lights, a platform structure configured to support the surface, a lens aligned with the platform structure, a cropping aperture, and an image receiver. The platform structure is configured to receive light from the source of light and the lens is positioned such that the source of light is not in focus, but the detected surface is in focus. The cropping aperture is configured to crop light reflected from the surface, and the image receiver is configured to receive the light conditioned by the cropping aperture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2012
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Inventors: Kexiang Ken Ding, Michael Anthony Laver, James Frandsen, Samer Kabbani
  • Publication number: 20130215257
    Abstract: There is provided an optical navigation device including at least one light source, an image sensor and a processing unit. The light source illuminates a work surface in a first brightness value and a second brightness value. The image sensor receives reflected light from the work surface and outputs a first image frame corresponding to the first brightness value and a second image frame corresponding to the second brightness value. The processing unit calculates a differential image of the first image frame and the second image frame and identifies an operating state according to the differential image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2012
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: PIXART IMAGING INC.
    Inventor: PixArt Imaging Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130205733
    Abstract: A arrangement is provided for the anticipatory assessment of plants to be gathered by a harvesting machine, disclosed as a combine harvester, and includes a non-contact sensor arrangement for the generation of signals representing at least one characteristic of plants located ahead of the machine, a measurement device for recording at least one characteristic of the plants actually gathered by the machine, and an evaluation device for producing calibration data with the aid of signals generated by the measurement device and from statistical parameters derived from the signals of the sensor arrangement and for the calculation of the characteristic of plants to be gathered with the aid of statistical parameters, which were derived from the signals of the sensor arrangement, corresponding to the plants to be gathered, and with the aid of the calibration data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2012
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Inventors: OLE PETERS, Benedikt Jung, Klaus Hahn, Cristian Dima
  • Publication number: 20130188037
    Abstract: A method for measuring critical dimension (CD) includes steps of: scanning at least one area of interest of a die to obtain at least one scanned image; aligning the scanned image to at least one designed layout pattern to identify a plurality of borders within the scanned image; and averaging distances each measured from the border or the plurality of borders of a pattern associated with a specific type of CD corresponding to the designed layout pattern to obtain a value of CD of the die. The value of critical dimensions of dies can be obtained from the scanned image with lower resolution which is obtained by relatively higher scanning speed, so the above-mentioned method can obtain value of CD for every die within entire wafer to monitor the uniformity of the semiconductor manufacturing process within an acceptable inspection time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: HERMES MICROVISION INC.
    Inventor: HERMES MICROVISION INC.
  • Publication number: 20130188038
    Abstract: A tablet inspection device includes a lighting unit configured to emit parallel light to a medicine package enclosing therein a semi-transparent tablet that is capable of transmitting light, a camera unit configured to capture an image of the medicine package irradiated with the parallel light, so as to obtain a transmission image of the medicine package, and an image processing unit configured to detect, as an area of the semi-transparent tablet, an area having a center part and a periphery part which has brightness lower than brightness of the center part, in the transmission image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Inventors: Takanobu Tanimoto, Hitoshi Yamashita, Makoto Gotou, Yoshihiko Matsukawa
  • Publication number: 20130182099
    Abstract: A photoelectric conversion connector, includes: an optical element that performs one of inputting and outputting an optical signal; an electric element that controls one of a light emission and a light reception of the optical element; and at least one substrate on which the electric element and the optical element are mounted, the substrate including an aligning and connecting part that allows connecting an optical fiber that performs one of inputting an optical signal output from the optical element and outputting an optical signal input to the optical element, the aligning and connecting part being provided on a surface different from a surface on which the optical element are mounted of the substrate, the optical fiber being connected to the substrate via the aligning and connecting part, and the optical element and the optical fiber being arranged and mounted in line along a direction of a thickness of the substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Olympus Corporation
  • Publication number: 20130176419
    Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and a method for manually confirming the accuracy of electronically stored information regarding a piece of lumber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: BAXLEY EQUIPMENT CO.
    Inventor: Baxley Equipment Co.
  • Patent number: 8477185
    Abstract: A system for the angular orientation and detection of containers being processed in labelling machines. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system for the detection and angular orientation of containers in labelling machines with a rotating turntable for handling the containers. The turntable is provided with a plurality of motor-driven pans which support and handle the containers. Four image cameras are controlled so as to acquire a set of four images which replicate the container image throughout the side surface or perimeter of the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Sidel Holdings & Technology S.A.
    Inventors: Antonio Secchi, Giuseppe Femia
  • Publication number: 20130162807
    Abstract: A method of automatically adjusting lighting conditions improves the results of points from focus (PFF) 3D reconstruction. Multiple lighting levels are automatically found based on brightness criteria and an image stack is taken at each lighting level. In some embodiments, the number of light levels and their respective light settings may be determined based on trial exposure images acquired at a single global focus height which is a best height for an entire region of interest, rather than the best focus height for just the darkest or brightest image pixels in a region of interest. The results of 3D reconstruction at each selected light level are combined using a Z-height quality metric. In one embodiment, the PFF data point Z-height value that is to be associated with an X-Y location is selected based on that PFF data point having the best corresponding Z-height quality metric value at that X-Y location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventor: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
  • Publication number: 20130162806
    Abstract: A method for operating an edge focus tool to focus the optics of a machine vision inspection system proximate to an edge adjacent to a beveled surface feature is provided. The method comprises defining a region of interest (ROI) including the edge in a field of view of the machine vision inspection system; acquiring an image stack of the ROI over a Z range including the edge; generating a point cloud including a Z height for a plurality of points in the ROI, based on determining a best focus Z height measurement for the plurality of points; defining a proximate subset of the point cloud comprising points proximate to the beveled surface feature and corresponding to the shape of the beveled surface feature; defining a Z-extremum subset of the proximate subset of the point cloud; and focusing the optics at a Z height corresponding to the Z-extremum subset.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yuhua Ding, Shannon Roy Campbell, Mark Lawrence Delaney, Robert Kamil Bryll
  • Publication number: 20130155220
    Abstract: This invention provides a trigger for a vision system that can be set using a user interface that allows the straightforward variation of a plurality of exposed trigger parameters. Illustratively, the vision system includes a triggering mode in which the system keeps acquiring an image of a field of view with respect to objects in relative motion. The system runs user-configurable “trigger logic”. When the trigger logic succeeds/passes, the current image or a newly acquired image is then transmitted to the main inspection logic for processing. The trigger logic can be readily configured by a user operating an interface, which can also be used to configure the main inspection process, to trigger the vision system by tools such as presence-absence, edge finding, barcode finding, pattern matching, image thresholding, or any arbitrary combination of tools exposed by the vision system in the interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2011
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: COGNEX CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tyson Mahuna
  • Patent number: 8462203
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and system for monitoring and controlling a glass container forming process. The radiation emitted by each hot glass container is measured with measurement unit immediately after the forming machine. The described method normalizes the measurement from glass container to glass container and thereby removes the effects of overall temperature variations between glass containers, changing ambient conditions, and other variations affecting the measurements, which provides a unique quality reference for each glass container. By reviewing this reference for each produced glass container, the quality of the produced containers can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Emhart Glass S.A.
    Inventors: Mark Edwin Holtkamp, Teunis René Brummelman
  • Patent number: 8462206
    Abstract: A system for acquiring images includes a photographing machine. The photographing machine includes a base, a carrier coupled to the base, a camera coupled to the carrier, a camera positioning system, and a background panel coupled to the carrier. The camera can take photographs of an object when the object is in a target zone. The camera positioning system moves the carrier to position the camera and to point the camera at the target zone. When the carrier is moved to position the camera, at least a portion of the background panel moves such that at least a portion of the background panel maintains a position opposite the camera relative to the target zone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan G. McGuire, Jeremy David Sawatzky, Jules Cook Graybill
  • Publication number: 20130120553
    Abstract: A machine vision system editing environment is provided for a part program in which a continuous stream of image acquisition operations are performed during a run mode. In one embodiment, a new common syntax and representations are utilized wherein continuous image acquisition operations are recorded in the same way as regular operations, with the running of the part program being performed in two stages. In the first stage, the portion of the part program that is to have the continuous stream of image acquisition is scanned for image acquisition operations, and the most efficient order for acquiring the images is determined, after which the image acquisition process is begun. Then, in the second stage, while the image acquisition process is being performed, the portion of the part program is scanned again, with the image analysis operations then being performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: MITUTOYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mark Delaney, Barry Saylor
  • Publication number: 20130113917
    Abstract: An image of the filter end faces of a bundle of cigarettes arranged side by side with axes thereof paralleled is acquired as an inspection image, and the diameters of the individual cigarettes of the bundle in the inspection image are obtained and compared with normal diameters associated with the respective cigarettes in the inspection image, to determine axial displacement of cigarettes from the bundle (first determination section). Also, the centers of gravity of the end faces of the individual cigarettes are obtained, and based on the difference between an inter-center-of-gravity distance which is the distance between an outermost cigarette in the bundle and its adjacent cigarette, and an inter-center-of-gravity distance which is the distance between adjacent cigarettes located in the central part of the bundle and belonging to the same tier as the outermost cigarette, axial displacement of the outermost cigarettes is determined (second determination section).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Publication date: May 9, 2013
    Applicant: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
    Inventor: JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
  • Patent number: 8437533
    Abstract: In order to measure a three-dimensional shape, feature information is read from a database. A board is transferred to a measurement position. A measurement head is transferred to an inspection area of the board. Light of a first lighting device for three-dimensional measurement and light of a second lighting device for two-dimensional measurement is illuminated onto the inspection area to photograph a first reflection image and a second reflection image that are reflected from the inspection area. The inspection area is realigned by comparing the feature information with at least one of the photographed first and second reflection images to inspect distortion of the inspection area. The realigned inspection area is inspected. Thus, the three-dimensional shape may be precisely measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Koh Young Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Min-Young Kim, Bong-Ha Hwang
  • Publication number: 20130107032
    Abstract: A profile measuring apparatus includes: a light source device from which a projection light is irradiated, the projection light having a light amount changing with lapse of time in a first period and a predetermined spatial distribution; an imaging element; a second period setting section which sets a second period including at least a part of the first period; and a profile information obtaining section which obtains an information of the profile of the object based on an image data taken by the imaging element in the second period. The second period setting section sets the second period based on a light amount of a light which comes into the imaging element at the time of an imaging performed before one imaging performed in the second period; and a light amount change pattern of the projection light changing with lapse of time in the first period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2012
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventor: NIKON CORPORATION
  • Publication number: 20130107033
    Abstract: A mounting head is provided with suction nozzles, image capturing cameras, and a movable mirror unit. When the mirror unit is placed at an advance position, mirrors advance into a viewing field of the image capturing cameras and refract an optical axis for image capturing, so that the image capturing cameras can capture images of tips of the suction nozzles and/or held components. When the mirror unit is placed at a retreat position, the mirrors retreat from the viewing field of the image capturing cameras, so that the image capturing cameras can capture images of component supplying positions and mounting positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2011
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Inventor: Kazuo Kido
  • Patent number: 8432441
    Abstract: A method for measuring critical dimension (CD) includes steps of: scanning at least one area of interest of a die to obtain at least one scanned image; aligning the scanned image to at least one designed layout pattern to identify a plurality of borders within the scanned image; and averaging distances each measured from the border or the plurality of borders of a pattern associated with a specific type of CD corresponding to the designed layout pattern to obtain a value of CD of the die. The value of critical dimensions of dies can be obtained from the scanned image with lower resolution which is obtained by relatively higher scanning speed, so the above-mentioned method can obtain value of CD for every die within entire wafer to monitor the uniformity of the semiconductor manufacturing process within an acceptable inspection time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Hermes Microvision Inc.
    Inventors: Wei Fang, Hong Xiao, Jack Jau
  • Patent number: 8425477
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for targeted and individualized delivery of multiple skin benefit agents to the skin of a user. The image of a predetermined treatment area of the user's skin is first captured by an imaging device. The captured image data is then analyzed by a computing device to generate a unique skin profile for the user, which is indicative of the skin conditions at the predetermined treatment area. Based on such skin profile, a printing device prints out one or more cosmetic delivery sheets that can be applied to the predetermined treatment area. Each of the cosmetic delivery sheets contains a substrate with multiple isolate, discrete regions, while at least two of the regions are imprinted with different skin benefit agents for treating different skin conditions of the predetermined treatment area according to the unique skin profile of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: ELC Management LLC
    Inventors: Tsung-wei Robert Mou, Fatemeh Mohammadi, Lisa Qu, Anna Czarnota, Tamar Lara Kamen
  • Patent number: 8395661
    Abstract: Various pipe inspection systems include a camera head operatively connected to the distal end of a push-cable. Images may be automatically captured at predetermined distances of travel, or may be automatically captured based on the output signals from the auto-focus, auto-exposure and/or auto-white balance engines indicating, for example, that the camera motion within the pipe is substantially zero. Images may be captured in an automatic mode at predetermined intervals as the camera head travels within the pipe or in an override mode initiated by operator command. The system may include a data transmission circuit that transmits data between a plurality of nodes at a frequency that does not substantially interfere with a normal base band video transmission frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2013
    Assignee: SeekTech, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark S. Olsson, Michael J. Martin, Ray Merewether, Stephen M. Bench, Tran Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20130058604
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a bearing device component is provided. The bearing device includes a shaft and a sleeve that surrounds the shaft, and at least either one of the shaft and the sleeve is referred to as a work. The method includes: a process of forming a coating of an anti-sticking-lube polymer on the work; a process of applying a photoluminescence material to a range overlapping a range where the coating of the anti-sticking-lube polymer is formed; and a condition detecting process of causing the photoluminescence material to emit light by causing the work to be irradiated with excitation light that excites the photoluminescence material, and detecting an applied condition of the photoluminescence material based on the light emission of the photoluminescence material, thereby detecting a condition of the coating of the anti-sticking-lube polymer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Publication date: March 7, 2013
    Applicant: ALPHANA TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chenglin CHEN, Kazuhiro Matsuo
  • Publication number: 20130050467
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling an aerially moved payload having at least one information capturing device and at least one line, reel, and motor combination for maneuvering the payload. The system includes a database having at least one control parameter or location parameter input therein. An image viewing device is provided for displaying information from the at least one information capturing device and software for overlaying at least one of the at least one control or location parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2012
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: CABLECAM, INC.
    Inventor: Stephen Wharton
  • Publication number: 20130044205
    Abstract: A pattern inspection method according to one aspect of the present invention includes generating a first positional deviation amount map by using data acquired by a pre-scan, generating a second positional deviation amount map by using data acquired by a full scan, generating a first positional deviation difference map by calculating a difference between the first positional deviation amount map and the second positional deviation amount map, generating a third positional deviation amount map from the first positional deviation difference map and the second positional deviation amount map, and judging existence of a value exceeding an allowable value, in values defined by the third positional deviation amount map.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: NuFlare Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Eiji Matsumoto, Nobutaka Kikuiri, Hideo Tsuchiya
  • Publication number: 20130044204
    Abstract: A board inspection apparatus includes an irradiation unit, an imaging unit, and an image processing unit. The image processing unit includes a three-dimensional measurement unit configured to perform three-dimensional measurement of the surfaces of the solder and the resist film by a certain three-dimensional measurement method based on the image data, a virtual standard surface setting unit configured to set a virtual standard surface corresponding to a contacting surface of a certain component mounted in a certain area of the printed board, a protrusion amount calculation unit configured to calculate a protrusion amount from the virtual standard surface for each solder printed and formed in the certain area, and a determination unit configured to determine whether the printed state of the solder passes or fails based on each of the protrusion amounts of the solder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2012
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Applicant: CKD CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Ishigaki
  • Patent number: 8375833
    Abstract: A system for cutting blocks of food product into bars of substantially equal weight. The system includes a cutter conveyor configured to receive incoming blocks of food product and move the blocks along an in-line processing path in a plane for cutting; a programmable logic controller coupled to the cutter conveyor; and, multiple stations associated with the cutter conveyor. One such station is a camera vision system configured to create an image of the slab portion, and further including a camera controller coupled to the vision system and the PLC, and configured to determine an optimized cut solution of the slab portion from the image and data related to the food product, and is configured to provide the cut solution to the PLC. The PLC is configured to control the cutting of the food product, based on the optimized cut solution, into bars of substantially equal weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2013
    Assignee: Marchant Schmidt, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard J. Schmidt
  • Publication number: 20130036972
    Abstract: A pixel observation system includes a memory unit, a coordinate generation unit, and an observation unit. The memory unit is configured to store at least nozzle information indicative of discharge states of a liquid material in a plurality of nozzles and arrangement information indicative of an arrangement of each of the nozzles with respect to each of a plurality of pixel regions in relative movement of the nozzles and a substrate. The coordinate generation unit is configured to generate observation coordinates of observation regions on the substrate based on the nozzle information and the arrangement information, and to include coordinates of at least some of the pixel regions over which the nozzles scan through one cycle of the relative movement in the observation coordinates. The observation unit is configured and arranged to observe the pixel regions positioned at the observation coordinates generated by the coordinate generation unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2012
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
  • Patent number: 8358903
    Abstract: A computer-readable medium storing computer executable instructions for: (1) receiving video footage taken by a handheld device; (2) identifying one or more indicia associated with a point of interest within the video footage; (3) using the one or more indicia to retrieve information associated with the point of interest; (4) displaying the information on a display screen associated with the handheld device as the video footage is being displayed on the display screen; and (5) recording a screen capture of the display screen as the display screen is displaying the video footage and information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: iQuest, Inc.
    Inventors: Bobby F. Meads, Patrick L. Meere
  • Patent number: 8358339
    Abstract: An inspecting method for grasping the inspection result on an intermediate (or an n-th) treatment without long extension of time, in case predetermined treatments of a predetermined number (N times) are exerted on a plurality of sheets running on a conveyor line, before all the treatments of N-times are ended. The inspecting method for inspecting an object subjected to the predetermined treatment includes performing the predetermined treatment repeatedly by the N-times (N: a natural number of 2 or more) sequentially on the individual objects being conveyed on the conveyor line, and an inspecting step of testing such a leading one of the objects as has been subjected to the n-th (n: a natural number of 1 or more but N or less) treatment, and returning the tested object to after such one of the targets as was subjected to the n-th treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Kenta Hayashi