Abstract: In order to provide a tire inspection apparatus which is capable of identifying, when performing an appearance inspection of a tire, a location of a rubber burr from a captured image of a tire side and avoiding detection of the rubber burr as a defect in a subsequent inspection step using image processing, the tire inspection apparatus is provided with a storage unit for storing a model pattern of a molded object to be molded on the tire side to be inspected and a master image of the tire side, the master image being prepared when the molded object(s) and an unnecessary molded object(s) are molded together as a conforming article, a model pattern locating unit for locating the model pattern on the captured image of the tire side to be inspected in a position of the captured image showing a highest degree of agreement, and an unnecessary molded object location identifying unit for identifying a location of the unnecessary molded object from the captured image by comparing the position of the model pattern loca

Abstract: A tire appearance inspection apparatus and method employing image processing is capable of performing tire appearance inspection with great accuracy. The tire appearance inspection apparatus includes a sectional shape acquiring device for acquiring cross-sectional shapes of a tire in the radial direction along the circumference of the tire, an arc fitting device for fitting an arc to each of the cross-sectional shapes, an arc center position calculating device for calculating the center positions of the arcs, and a sectional shape aligning device for aligning the cross-sectional shapes using the center positions of the arcs for the cross-sectional shapes.

Abstract: In order to provide a tire inspection apparatus which is capable of identifying, when performing an appearance inspection of a tire, a location of a rubber burr from a captured image of a tire side and avoiding detection of the rubber burr as a defect in a subsequent inspection step using image processing, the tire inspection apparatus is provided with a storage unit for storing a model pattern of a molded object to be molded on the tire side to be inspected and a master image of the tire side, the master image being prepared when the molded object(s) and an unnecessary molded object(s) are molded together as a conforming article, a model pattern locating unit for locating the model pattern on the captured image of the tire side to be inspected in a position of the captured image showing a highest degree of agreement, and an unnecessary molded object location identifying unit for identifying a location of the unnecessary molded object from the captured image by comparing the position of the model pattern loca

Abstract: A shape measurement method for a tire includes: detecting an outer surface shape data and an inner surface shape of the tire from image data of the outer surface and the inner surface; subjecting irregularities along the tire circumferential direction around the tire in the outer surface shape data and in the inner surface shape data to Fourier transformation to take out primary waveform components respectively; adjusting the tire circumferential positions of both of the waveform components to adjust the tire circumferential positions thereof; adjusting the tire radial direction cross section positions of the outer surface shape data and the inner surface shape data from information about the placement angles and the positions of the first camera and the second camera; and synthesizing the outer surface shape data and the inner surface shape data based on the adjusted tire circumferential positions and the tire radial direction cross section positions.

Abstract: In order to conduct a visual inspection correctly for a tire having deflection, contour deformation caused by the deflection of the tire is corrected with respect to tire contour measurement data. A tire contour measurement data correction method includes a step of obtaining a sidewall image in a tire radial direction at each certain rotation angle by a sensor portion while rotating a tire T to be inspected by a tire rotation portion, a step of dividing the sidewall image by a predetermined ratio by an image processing portion and approximating the sidewall image of each divided section by a straight line, a step of calculating an inclination angle in a horizontal direction of the approximate straight line, and a step of rotating the sidewall image of each divided section so that the inclination angle of the approximate straight line agrees with a predetermined angle determined for each divided section.

Abstract: In order to conduct a visual inspection correctly for a tire having deflection, contour deformation caused by the deflection of the tire is corrected with respect to tire contour measurement data. A tire contour measurement data correction method includes a step of obtaining a sidewall image in a tire radial direction at each certain rotation angle by a sensor portion while rotating a tire T to be inspected by a tire rotation portion, a step of dividing the sidewall image by a predetermined ratio by an image processing portion and approximating the sidewall image of each divided section by a straight line, a step of calculating an inclination angle in a horizontal direction of the approximate straight line, and a step of rotating the sidewall image of each divided section so that the inclination angle of the approximate straight line agrees with a predetermined angle determined for each divided section.

Abstract: A shape measurement method for a tire includes: detecting an outer surface shape data and an inner surface shape of the tire from image data of the outer surface and the inner surface; subjecting irregularities along the tire circumferential direction around the tire in the outer surface shape data and in the inner surface shape data to Fourier transformation to take out primary waveform components respectively; adjusting the tire circumferential positions of both of the waveform components to adjust the tire circumferential positions thereof; adjusting the tire radial direction cross section positions of the outer surface shape data and the inner surface shape data from information about the placement angles and the positions of the first camera and the second camera; and synthesizing the outer surface shape data and the inner surface shape data based on the adjusted tire circumferential positions and the tire radial direction cross section positions.

Abstract: A separation filter selection device provided with an image input unit, a memory unit, a setting unit, an evaluation unit and a separation filter selection unit is disclosed. The image input unit inputs a captured image capturing a tire surface including a characteristic portion thereof. The memory unit stores plural filters for performing image processing of the captured image, stores a training image in which the characteristic portion is separated from the captured image, and a weighted image in which a weighting is set to a predetermined region of the captured image. The setting unit combines two or more filters out of the plural filters and sets a separation filter. The evaluation unit derives an evaluation value of the separation filter on the basis of an image in which a differential between the processed image that has been processed by each of the filters of the separation filter, and the training image, and to which a weighting based on the weighted image is applied.

Abstract: A tire appearance inspection apparatus and method employing image processing is capable of performing tire appearance inspection with great accuracy. The tire appearance inspection apparatus includes a sectional shape acquiring device for acquiring cross-sectional shapes of a tire in the radial direction along the circumference of the tire, an arc fitting device for fitting an arc to each of the cross-sectional shapes, an arc center position calculating device for calculating the center positions of the arcs, and a sectional shape aligning device for aligning the cross-sectional shapes using the center positions of the arcs for the cross-sectional shapes.

Abstract: A separation filter selection device provided with an image input unit, a memory unit, a setting unit, an evaluation unit and a separation filter selection unit is disclosed. The image input unit inputs a captured image capturing a tire surface including a characteristic portion thereof. The memory unit stores plural filters for performing image processing of the captured image, stores a training image in which the characteristic portion is separated from the captured image, and a weighted image in which a weighting is set to a predetermined region of the captured image. The setting unit combines two or more filters out of the plural filters and sets a separation filter. The evaluation unit derives an evaluation value of the separation filter on the basis of an image in which a differential between the processed image that has been processed by each of the filters of the separation filter, and the training image, and to which a weighting based on the weighted image is applied.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an external-appearance apparatus that inspects an external appearance of a photographing object to combine a two-dimensional image and a three-dimensional image to improve inspection accuracy. The external-appearance inspection apparatus 10 includes a 3D camera 30 that acquires a three-dimensional image of an object, a 2D camera 20 that acquires a two-dimensional image of the object, and a second converter 16 that assigns pixel values of the two-dimensional image corresponding to the physical coordinates of pixels of the three-dimensional image to the physical coordinates corresponding to pixels of the three-dimensional image.