Patents by Inventor Gilbert Chiang

Gilbert Chiang 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).

  • Patent number: 11810314
    Abstract: A system and method for estimating dimensions of an approximately cuboidal object from a 3D image of the object acquired by an image sensor of the vision system processor is provided. An identification module, associated with the vision system processor, automatically identifies a 3D region in the 3D image that contains the cuboidal object. A selection module, associated with the vision system processor, automatically selects 3D image data from the 3D image that corresponds to approximate faces or boundaries of the cuboidal object. An analysis module statistically analyzes, and generates statistics for, the selected 3D image data that correspond to approximate cuboidal object faces or boundaries. A refinement module chooses statistics that correspond to improved cuboidal dimensions from among cuboidal object length, width and height. The improved cuboidal dimensions are provided as dimensions for the object. A user interface displays a plurality of interface screens for setup and runtime operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Cognex Corporation
    Inventors: Nitin M. Vaidya, Hongwei Zhu, Daniel Moreno, Ben R. Carey, Nickolas J. Mullan, Gilbert Chiang, Yukang Liu, David J. Michael
  • Patent number: 11748838
    Abstract: This invention provides a system and method for using an area scan sensor of a vision system, in conjunction with an encoder or other knowledge of motion, to capture an accurate measurement of an object larger than a single field of view (FOV) of the sensor. It identifies features/edges of the object, which are tracked from image to image, thereby providing a lightweight way to process the overall extents of the object for dimensioning purposes. Logic automatically determines if the object is longer than the FOV, and thereby causes a sequence of image acquisition snapshots to occur while the moving/conveyed object remains within the FOV until the object is no longer present in the FOV. At that point, acquisition ceases and the individual images are combined as segments in an overall image. These images can be processed to derive overall dimensions of the object based on input application details.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Cognex Corporation
    Inventors: Ben R. Carey, Andrew Parrett, Yukang Liu, Gilbert Chiang
  • Patent number: 11605177
    Abstract: A system and method for estimating dimensions of an approximately cuboidal object from a 3D image of the object acquired by an image sensor of the vision system processor is provided. An identification module, associated with the vision system processor, automatically identifies a 3D region in the 3D image that contains the cuboidal object. A selection module, associated with the vision system processor, automatically selects 3D image data from the 3D image that corresponds to approximate faces or boundaries of the cuboidal object. An analysis module statistically analyzes, and generates statistics for, the selected 3D image data that correspond to approximate cuboidal object faces or boundaries. A refinement module chooses statistics that correspond to improved cuboidal dimensions from among cuboidal object length, width and height. The improved cuboidal dimensions are provided as dimensions for the object. A user interface displays a plurality of interface screens for setup and runtime operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Cognex Corporation
    Inventors: Ben R. Carey, Nickolas J. Mullan, Gilbert Chiang, Yukang Liu, Nitin M. Vaidya, Hongwei Zhu, Daniel Moreno, David J. Michael
  • Publication number: 20220358668
    Abstract: A system and method for estimating dimensions of an approximately cuboidal object from a 3D image of the object acquired by an image sensor of the vision system processor is provided. An identification module, associated with the vision system processor, automatically identifies a 3D region in the 3D image that contains the cuboidal object. A selection module, associated with the vision system processor, automatically selects 3D image data from the 3D image that corresponds to approximate faces or boundaries of the cuboidal object. An analysis module statistically analyzes, and generates statistics for, the selected 3D image data that correspond to approximate cuboidal object faces or boundaries. A refinement module chooses statistics that correspond to improved cuboidal dimensions from among cuboidal object length, width and height. The improved cuboidal dimensions are provided as dimensions for the object. A user interface displays a plurality of interface screens for setup and runtime operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2022
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Inventors: Nitin M. Vaidya, Hongwei Zhu, Daniel Moreno, Ben R. Carey, Nickolas J. Mullan, Gilbert Chiang, Yukang Liu, David J. Michael
  • Patent number: 11335021
    Abstract: A system and method for estimating dimensions of an approximately cuboidal object from a 3D image of the object acquired by an image sensor of the vision system processor is provided. An identification module, associated with the vision system processor, automatically identifies a 3D region in the 3D image that contains the cuboidal object. A selection module, associated with the vision system processor, automatically selects 3D image data from the 3D image that corresponds to approximate faces or boundaries of the cuboidal object. An analysis module statistically analyzes, and generates statistics for, the selected 3D image data that correspond to approximate cuboidal object faces or boundaries. A refinement module chooses statistics that correspond to improved cuboidal dimensions from among cuboidal object length, width and height. The improved cuboidal dimensions are provided as dimensions for the object. A user interface displays a plurality of interface screens for setup and runtime operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Cognex Corporation
    Inventors: Nitin M. Vaidya, Hongwei Zhu, Daniel Moreno, Ben R. Carey, Nickolas J. Mullan, Gilbert Chiang, Yukang Liu, David J. Michael
  • Publication number: 20210350496
    Abstract: This invention provides a system and method for using an area scan sensor of a vision system, in conjunction with an encoder or other knowledge of motion, to capture an accurate measurement of an object larger than a single field of view (FOV) of the sensor. It identifies features/edges of the object, which are tracked from image to image, thereby providing a lightweight way to process the overall extents of the object for dimensioning purposes. Logic automatically determines if the object is longer than the FOV, and thereby causes a sequence of image acquisition snapshots to occur while the moving/conveyed object remains within the FOV until the object is no longer present in the FOV. At that point, acquisition ceases and the individual images are combined as segments in an overall image. These images can be processed to derive overall dimensions of the object based on input application details.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Inventors: Ben R. Carey, Andrew Parrett, Yukang Liu, Gilbert Chiang
  • Publication number: 20200394812
    Abstract: A system and method for estimating dimensions of an approximately cuboidal object from a 3D image of the object acquired by an image sensor of the vision system processor is provided. An identification module, associated with the vision system processor, automatically identifies a 3D region in the 3D image that contains the cuboidal object. A selection module, associated with the vision system processor, automatically selects 3D image data from the 3D image that corresponds to approximate faces or boundaries of the cuboidal object. An analysis module statistically analyzes, and generates statistics for, the selected 3D image data that correspond to approximate cuboidal object faces or boundaries. A refinement module chooses statistics that correspond to improved cuboidal dimensions from among cuboidal object length, width and height. The improved cuboidal dimensions are provided as dimensions for the object. A user interface displays a plurality of interface screens for setup and runtime operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Publication date: December 17, 2020
    Inventors: Ben R. Carey, Nickolas J. Mullan, Gilbert Chiang, Yukang Liu, Nitin M. Vaidya, Hongwei Zhu, Daniel Moreno, David J. Michael
  • Patent number: 9554094
    Abstract: A system and method for detecting and/or determining the existence of displacement of a substrate with respect to a surrounding object uses a laser line that is free of contact with the object and that is received by an image sensor. A processor reads the line information in a series of image frames, and generates a range image with height information. The height information is provided to a 2D map. Differences between adjacent height measurements, and averages, are computed. Vision system tools are used to accurately locate features in the image and these are aligned with the height information. The height differences are interpreted, with missing height data due, for example, to specularity in the image being approximated. The height differences are compared to predetermined height parameters relative to identified locations, for example, wells, in the object to determine whether a substrate is displaced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Cognex Corporation
    Inventors: Gilbert Chiang, Robert Tremblay
  • Patent number: 6011586
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided for forming an image of the periphery of an object with a camera having optics disposed at a working distance that is significantly less than the focal length of the optics, without introducing image distortion. The invention provides an image formation apparatus having a reduced effective profile height by exploiting a folded optical path to provide reduced working distance between a camera and an object of interest, such as a semiconductor wafer, as compared with direct viewing of the object. In a preferred embodiment, the invention includes two reflecting substrates, a first reflecting substrate and a second reflecting substrate. The distance between the first and second reflecting substrates determines the number of times the light rays that form the image will bounce therebetween, and consequently, the number of images of an object periphery that will appear in the field of view (FOV) of the camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignee: Cognex Corporation
    Inventors: Bill Lepior, E. John McGarry, Fariborz Rostami, Gilbert Chiang