Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for refining groupings of edge points that represent contours in an image. The methods and apparatuses decrease data dispersion and data quantization effects. The methods and apparatuses are particularly useful for accurate and robust detection of straight line-segment features contained in noisy, cluttered imagery occurring in industrial machine vision applications. Additionally, a measurement criterion of the quality of the detected line segments is introduced.

Abstract: An electronic spreadsheet is improved for machine vision applications by incorporating single method objects, and a data display buffer position beneath a variably transparent spreadsheet grid. The data display buffer works in cooperation with the single method objects to selectively display stored data sets in superimposed relationship with the variably transparent spreadsheet grid. The resulting user-interface is particularly advantageous for machine vision applications, and other applications using large data sets.

Abstract: A rectangle finder tool automatically locates rectangles in an image that correspond to substantially rectangular devices in the image. The rectangle finder tool can be used to automatically locate rectangles in an image or to generate abstract rectangular models of devices in the image. The tool determines the properties of and locates the rectangular device by searching for pairs of lines in an image at a specified orientation.

Abstract: The disclosed methods and apparatuses leverage a known value of a characteristic of an object to partially calibrate an imaging system “on-the-fly”, and minimize, if not eliminate, the need for a separate calibration image(s). Specifically, the scale relationship (i.e. the relationship between physical dimensions and image dimensions) is calculated using the known value and a measured value of the characteristic from the image. The same image used to calculate the scale relationship is also processed, such as inspected, for example. The known value can be a measurement of an aspect of many things, including an inherent feature, or a relationship between features, for example. One embodiment uses a model to find the characteristic. A described preferred embodiment inspects an end-face of a fiber-optic cable, wherein the known value is the diameter of an annular cladding of the fiber-optic cable.

Abstract: A method and apparatus implementing dynamic thresholding techniques in processes that use image subtraction. The subtracted image is separated into a positive difference image using a positive image map and a negative difference image using a negative image map. A positive threshold map and a negative threshold map process a Gaussian filtered first image to generate respective positive and negative dynamic threshold images. The positive and negative threshold map mask out irrelevant areas and implement adaptive gain in pixel thresholds proportional to a difference or contrast between foreground or feature of interest and local background. Dynamic thresholding is a subtraction providing a subtracted positive image and a subtracted negative image. The subtracted positive and subtracted negative images are combined to provide a merged image which is binarized. Edge or Interface detection involves edge detection and true peak detection to find the edge peaks in a pre-image and post image.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for refining groupings of edge points that represent contours in an image. The methods and apparatuses decrease data dispersion and data quantization effects. The methods and apparatuses are particularly useful for accurate and robust detection of straight line-segment features contained in noisy, cluttered imagery occurring in industrial machine vision applications. Additionally, a measurement criterion of the quality of the detected line segments is introduced.

Abstract: An electronic component inspection equipment effective to prevent reflection of a virtual image in which among side walls of a vessel for accommodating an electronic component, an image pick-up direction to a first side wall is set in a direction of Brewster angle &PSgr;B1 of the first side wall, a first prism and a first polarized light beam splitter are disposed on the image pick-up direction, an image pick-up direction of a second side wall is set in a direction of Brewster angle &PSgr;B2 of the second side wall, and a second prism and a second polarized light beam splitter are disposed on the image pick-up direction.

Abstract: A hub that controls the acquisition of images from a plurality of image sources utilizes image acquisition logic that selectively applies a first set of control signals (e.g., “shutter” signals) to imaging devices, causing them to acquire images. The logic applies a second set of control signals (e.g., “readout” signals) to the devices, causing them to output the images to the hub. Those images are transferred by the hub to a host over an isochronous communications medium.

Abstract: A system and method for servoing robot marks using fiducial marks and machine vision provides a machine vision system having a machine vision search tool that is adapted to register a pattern, namely a trained fiducial mark, that is transformed by at least two translational degrees and at least one mon-translational degree of freedom. The fiducial is provided to workpiece carried by an end effector of a robot operating within a work area. When the workpiece enters an area of interest within a field of view of a camera of the machine vision system, the fiducial is recognized by the tool based upon a previously trained and calibrated stored image within the tool. The location of the work-piece is derived by the machine vision system based upon the viewed location of the fiducial. The location of the found fiducial is compared with that of a desired location for the fiducial. The desired location can be based upon a standard or desired position of the workpiece.

Abstract: A three-dimensional (3-D) machine-vision obstacle detection solution involving a method and apparatus for performing high-integrity, high efficiency machine vision. The machine vision obstacle detection solution converts two-dimensional video pixel data into 3-D point data that is used for calculation of the closest distance from the vehicle to points on the 3-D objects, for any object within view of at least one imaging device configured to provide obstacle detection. The obstacle detection apparatus includes an image acquisition device arranged to view a monitored scene stereoscopically and pass the resulting multiple video output signals to a computer for further processing. The multiple video output signals are connected to the input of a video processor adapted to accept the video signals. Video images from each camera are then synchronously sampled, captured, and stored in a memory associated with a general purpose processor.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for identifying regions of similar texture in an image. The areas of similar texture include areas conventionally thought of as similar texture regions as well as areas of more varied texture that are treated as regions of similar texture in order to identify them within an image. The method associates frequency characteristics of an image with a spatial position within the image by: applying a frequency analysis on sub-regions of the image, thereby, generating frequency characteristics representative of the sub-regions: and associating the frequency characteristics with the origin of the sub-regions. An embodiment disclosed applies a fast Fourier transform on sub-regions in a given direction to determine a dominant frequency of the sub-region and the power of the dominant frequency, both of which are associated with the respective sub-region by storing the dominant frequency and power in a frequency image and power image, respectively, at the position of the origin.

Abstract: A method is provided for obtaining a focused image of an object in an application of machine vision in an optical inspection system. A coarse focus setting is first obtained by maximizing a coarse feature sharpness measurement performed on an image of the object of inspection. Then, a fine focus setting is obtained by maximizing a fine feature sharpness measurement performed on a portion of an image of the object of inspection. Finally, the fine focused image can be further analyzed, inspected, or otherwise processed.

Abstract: The three-dimensional orientation of a given object is determined. The given object may comprise an object having surface characteristics which provide poor contrast in representative images of the given object. In a specific embodiment, the object may comprise a golf ball. A model representation is obtained of a reference object, and a run-time image is obtained of the given object. From the run-time image, shape information is obtained for certain identified shapes collectively forming a subset of the visible shapes. The shape information is matched to a number of incremental poses of the model representation varying along three degrees of freedom.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for compressing a grayscale pixel image of an object against a background. Processed data, including pixel intensity data, corresponding to an image, is received, and the pixels of the image are categorized as background or object pixels. The pixel intensity values of the image are run-length encoded, which includes background encoding to produce runs of background pixels, and object encoding to generate runs of pixels falling within respective ranges. Each range of the object-encoded runs is defined as a function of the intensity value of the first pixel of a given run. A maximum run-length of background pixel runs, and maximum run-length for object pixel runs is provided. The background and object pixel runs are stored as a compressed image.

Abstract: A position detection tool in a machine vision system finds the position of target objects in a digital image using the length and width of the target object as parameters. The input length and width dimensions are measured by the developer as the length and width of a simple hypothetical rectangle that surrounds the object. For most shapes, the developer can easily obtain these two measurements. The position detection tool can easily be adapted to discern particular image patterns from multiple component images.

Abstract: A method of training a system to identify inspection sites on a circuit board is described. The method uses a priori information, which includes a region of interest, approximate sizes and approximate spacings of a plurality of nominal pad locations, and a pad count or an aperture count. A region is created which is associated with each one of the nominal pad locations within an image of a printed circuit board. A search tool is run to find pad candidates within each one of the regions. The pad candidates are filtered. The best pad candidates are selected from among each of the found pad candidates. The best pad candidates are averaged to provide an average, and are modified based on the average.

Abstract: A method involves training a system to identify inspection sites on a printed circuit board. The method uses a priori information, which includes a sample pad description. A training region of interest is created within an image of the printed circuit board. A search tool is run to find pad candidates within the training region. The pad candidates are filtered and false pad candidates are eliminated. The filtered pad candidates are averaged to provide an average, and are modified based on the average.

Abstract: A method of inspecting semiconductor die and lead frame assemblies uses rotation invariant/scale invariant processing methods of machine vision data. A training image is acquired and processed to form a training model. A runtime image is acquired and processed using rotation invariant/scale invariant tools to find a runtime instance of the trained model and produce x, y, theta and scale information. The runtime instance is aligned to the train time model, or vice versa, and then compared to the train time model. The features and edges from the runtime image are compared to features and edges of the training model to identify discrepancies as possible defects. The possible defects are further processed with a morphological filter and/or a blob filter to further refine images of the defects. Alternative implementations of the invention measure adhesive wet-out around semiconductor dies and provide measurements of die rotation.

Abstract: An improved electronic spreadsheet is provided for applications that require the processing of continuous data streams over a time-based data interval of size greater than one. The improved spreadsheet supports the creation of expressions involving clocked delay line objects instantiated within spreadsheet cells. The delay line object includes data storage and a member function that implements a shift register. Data stream input functions supply the clocking signals that trigger the execution of the shift register function of the delay line object. Spreadsheet functions are provided that support random access of elements and other analysis over the buffered data interval. The forgoing improvements extend the effective range of spreadsheet programming to include a wider range of applications than was previously possible, including signal processing, machine vision, and time evolution studies.

Abstract: An inspection object imaging device, which images a plurality of objects to be inspected that are located at different imaging distances from imaging means, in which a light transmitting optical member which has a predetermined refractive index and a thickness and which absorbs the differences of the imaging distances is provided in an optical path between the objects to be inspected and the imaging means. When the objects whose optical path lengths from the imaging means are different are imaged by one imaging means, all the objects can be focused simultaneously, so that the time required for the imaging can be reduced and, further, a high quality image can be obtained over the whole imaged region.