Abstract: A lighting device for apparatus detecting flaws in objects having a photoelectric sensor aligned with the object and a processor responsive to the sensor for determining the light received by the sensor. The lighting device includes a ring-shaped lamp and an opaque shield having predetermined light paths controlling the direction of the light from the lamp in a selected direction, so that the light irradiates the object to be inspected in a manner whereby the light is reflected from the object to the sensor only when the object is flawed.

Abstract: An object to be inspected is illuminated and its image is picked up by an optical image sensor which provides a video signal thereof. The optical image is divided into at least two portions which are mutually symmetrical to each other, and the specific video signals of corresponding parts of the mutually symmetrical portions are compared sequentially to thereby determine whether the object has a defect or not.

Abstract: A defect inspection apparatus for bottles made of transparent material in which a light source is located under a bottle made of transparent material and to be inspected for irradiating a bottom of the bottle, a photoelectric conversion sensor is installed above the mouth of the bottle for receiving such a light that enters the bottle from its bottom, passes through the inside of the sidewall of the bottle and then is emitted upwards from the mouth of the bottle and, an electric processor is provided for electrically processing the responsive electrical signal from the photoelectric conversion sensor to thereby inspect defects of the bottle.

Abstract: To inspect objects which are symmetrical, as for example the rims of bottles, the video signal representing a field of view within which the rim is imaged is divided into portions which should contain mirror image portions of the rim image. These two image portions are compared electronically to determine the deviation, if any, from such mirror image symmetry. If the deviation is sufficiently great, the object being inspected is earmarked for rejection. The division into image portions is by the top and bottom of a strip of the composite image in which the strip is perpendicular to the raster lines of the field of view and by left- and right-hand portions of the composite image on either side of the strip. The electronic comparison is effected by counting the scanning points along a raster line, line by line, containing the image of the rim and comparing the counts obtained from the two image portions to each other. The image of the rim should be centered within the field of view.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for checking containers, e.g. bottles or pots by means of a transport apparatus for transporting the containers along a predetermined path and a lighting apparatus positioned at a side of said path, e.g. at least one flash light means, and a sensing apparatus, e.g. at least one video camera positioned on a corresponding position, said transport apparatus being provided, in the area of said lighting apparatus and said sensing apparatus a part, in which the containers are hung by their collars. The invention proposes to adapt an apparatus of the type mentioned in the preamble in such a way that in said part of said transport apparatus the path is rectilinear, thus avoiding the need of using means to counteract the oblique position necessary in prior art apparatus, in which the path is curved, and avoiding mechanical load due to centrifugal forces.

Abstract: The target screen of a television camera is divided into a matrix in horizontal and vertical directions to receive image data signals as divided in the matrix for subsequent processing. A memory circuit having the same number of memory elements as the divisions of the matrix, a circuit for scanning addresses of the memory elements of the memory circuit in synchronization with scanning in the television camera, a circuit for preliminarily memorizing signals, which are used to discriminate which of the image data signals are processed or not, on memory elements of the memory circuit with addresses corresponding to the image data signals respectively and a circuit for generating a control signal based on the memory data signal from the memory circuit to determine which image data signals is used or not in response to scanning of the target screen of the television camera is provided. A circuit for controlling supply of the image data signal from the television camera to the processing apparatus is also provided.

Abstract: A surface flaw inspection apparatus for a convex body having a light source for irradiating a surface of an object to be inspected with a luminous flux, an image sensor for receiving the reflected light on the surface of the object and producing a corresponding electrical signal, an inspection section for receiving the electrical signal from the image sensor and inspecting whether or not there is a flaw on the surface of the object, and a projection screen located in the light path from the light source through the surface of the object to the image sensor on which an image of the irradiated area of the surface of the object by the luminous flux is formed, in which the image sensor picks up the image formed on the projection screen.

Abstract: A defect inspection apparatus having a television camera which picks up an object to be inspected and produces a video signal for inspecting defects on the object, wherein the apparatus comprises a detection section which outputs a signal responding to the positive changes of the video signal with respect to time and a further detection section which outputs a signal in response to the negative changes of the video signal with respect to time, so that a defect detection signal is only output when, after one of the detection sections generates an output, the other detection section generates an output within a given time period.

Abstract: Systems that judge the good or bad of moving objects to be inspected by processing image signals from a video camera which picks up the objects at an inspection circuit, are disclosed whereas each time the moving objects to be inspected arrive at the position to be inspected, a position detection signal is generated from a position detection system. This position detection signal drives the light source to irradiate light for a short time period onto the object to be inspected when it arrives at the inspection position and then such irradiated inspected object is picked up by the video camera as a static image.

Abstract: A rejection system for use with an inspection system, which inspects a number of products transferred at high speed on a conveyor at a predetermined inspection position and generates a product reject signal as well as a product inspection position arrival signal is disclosed, in which there are provided a plurality of product rejection mechanisms for rejecting unnecessary products from the conveyor at different position and a driving circuit for driving the plurality of product rejection mechanism. In this case, the driving circuit receives the product reject signal and product inspection position arrival signal from the inspection system and then produces driving signals to drive the plurality of product rejection mechanisms in time sharing manner whereby the plurality of product rejection mechanisms reject the unnecessary products from the conveyor at different positions.

Abstract: A pattern discrimination method is disclosed which judges that, when the difference between the data from an object or subject to be inspected and previously memorized data of a standard subject falls within a first predetermined value, the object belongs to the same kind of the standard subject. In this case, the difference between the data of the object and the previously memorized data of the standard subject is compared with a second predetermined threshold value smaller than the first predetermined value. When the difference is smaller than the second predetermined threshold value, the memorized data is revised in response to the new data from the object.

Abstract: A pattern recognition method is disclosed which makes a judgment that when the difference between an object to be inspected and a previously memorized reference object falls within a predetermined value, the object belongs to the same class as the reference object. During the inspection process, the predetermined value is changed in accordance with the results of past judgment.

Abstract: An object inspection system, upon detecting the presence of a flaw in a video signal from a television camera cyclically varies the video corresponding to the flaw so that an image displayed on a television monitor is correspondingly periodically brightened or flickered to identify the location of the defect to an operator and to alert the operator to the presence of such defect.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed which inspects whether or not an object to be inspected contains an abnormality, defect or the like by using a single photo-sensor such as a video camera provided with a photo-electric conversion screen such as a target screen therein. An inspection section or processor such as an computer is provided to receive the output from the video camera and process the same to determine whether the object contains the abnormality, defect etc. or not. The video camera includes an optical lens arrangement which can simultaneously focus images of at least two different portions of the object on the target screen of the video camera.

Abstract: A light diffusion device has a plurality of rough surfaces with different roughnesses which are placed at a light source side of an object to be inspected. The plurality of rough surfaces consecutively diffuse the light emitted from the light source. The diffused light then passes the inspection zone of the object to which a photosensing means is faced from the opposite side to the light source, into which the diffused light is introduced from the light diffusion device after passing the inspection zone of the object.

Abstract: A non-contact noise detection apparatus is provided with a detector not connected to the source of the noise for detecting the high frequency field generated by the source. A high pass filter and amplifier passes the high frequency pulse components only of the output of the detector. A pulse generator is responsive to the output of the high pass filter to provide a pulse signal of predetermined width, and an indicator is responsive to the pulse generator.

Abstract: A place scenery is surveilled by a video camera. The image signal from the video camera is converted to data, the data is stored in a memory as a current data and then compared with previous data which was prepared and stored in another memory in a previous surveillance period. The current and previous data is compared and an alarm signal generated when there is a difference between both data. Thereafter the previous data is erased and replaced by the current data in the memory and stored until the next image data is derived from the video camera. The operation is repeated at predetermined time intervals.

Abstract: A defect inspection system in which a reflector body is arranged at such an angle relative to an object to be inspected that in spite of any parallel movements of the image does not overlap the inspected object. The inspected object and the image thereof are both simultaneously picked up by the same television camera. Then, the video signal from the television camera is fed to a processor which then inspects whether or not the object to be inspected contains defects or flaws.

Abstract: An inspection device is disclosed which includes a color sensor which has a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements each being responsive to respective different wave lengths of light from an object to be inspected and producing an electrical signal, a zero balance setter which processes the output signal from the color sensor and then takes a zero balance, a tolerance range setter which receives the output of the zero balance setter and produces an abnormal signal in conjunction to a tolerance range of the object to be inspected, a detector which produces an electrical signal to notify when the object arrives at a predetermined location; and a detection location timing section which passes the output of the tolerance range setter by the output signal from the detector.

Abstract: An inspection apparatus for defects on patterns is disclosed which has a television camera picking up an object with a pattern to be inspected, an inspection device receiving an output from the television camera to inspect the object, an optical mask having a reference pattern made of opaque material and transparent material and serving as a reference for inspection of defects of the object, and a device for supporting the optical mask between the television camera and the object on the optical axis of the television camera in such a manner that the patterns of the object and optical mask are matched with each other on the optical axis of the television camera.