Abstract: The present invention provides a system and methods for automatic parameter determination in machine vision in general, and in object recognition in particular. Many machine vision systems use algorithms that demand the user to specify one or more parameters in order to adapt the behavior of the algorithm in dependence of the current application. This is not desirable because the complexity of the algorithm should be hidden from the user and a manual parameter determination is contrary to a desirable high degree of automation. The present invention provides a method to automatically determine the most frequently used parameters in machine vision solely based on the input image itself. The method is explained in detail using an object recognition system as an example. In particular, the model generation process based on a model image of the object is explained. However, also other systems that use edge extraction algorithms, for example, can benefit from the present invention.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for recognizing a 3D object in a single camera image and for determining the 3D pose of the object with respect to the camera coordinate system. In one typical application, the 3D pose is used to make a robot pick up the object. A view-based approach is presented that does not show the drawbacks of previous methods because it is robust to image noise, object occlusions, clutter, and contrast changes. Furthermore, the 3D pose is determined with a high accuracy. Finally, the presented method allows the recognition of the 3D object as well as the determination of its 3D pose in a very short computation time, making it also suitable for real-time applications. These improvements are achieved by the methods disclosed herein.

Abstract: A method for ascertaining the leakage from injection systems is proposed which is fully automatable and which furnishes unambiguous measurement results, which make a simple decision possible about the tightness of an injection system, in particular of an injector or of an injection valve.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and methods for automatic parameter determination in machine vision in general, and in object recognition in particular. Many machine vision systems use algorithms that demand the user to specify one or more parameters in order to adapt the behavior of the algorithm in dependence of the current application. This is not desirable because the complexity of the algorithm should be hidden from the user and a manual parameter determination is contrary to a desirable high degree of automation. The present invention provides a method to automatically determine the most frequently used parameters in machine vision solely based on the input image itself. The method is explained in detail using an object recognition system as an example. In particular, the model generation process based on a model image of the object is explained. However, also other systems that use edge extraction algorithms, for example, can benefit from the present invention.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for the recognition of objects in an image, where the objects may consist of an arbitrary number of parts that are allowed to move with respect to each other. In the offline phase the invention automatically learns the relative movements of the single object parts from a sequence of example images and builds a hierarchical model that incorporates a description of the single object parts, the relations between the parts, and an efficient search strategy. This is done by analyzing the pose variations (e.g., variations in position, orientation, and scale) of the single object parts in the example images. The poses can be obtained by an arbitrary similarity measure for object recognition, e.g., normalized cross correlation, Hausdorff distance, generalized Hough transform, the modification of the generalized Hough transform, or the similarity measure. In the online phase the invention uses the hierarchical model to efficiently find the entire object in the search image.

Abstract: Known pressure regulating valves have a valve closing body, which cooperates with a valve seat, and a restoring spring, which acts on a valve closing body in the direction facing away from the valve seat. It is disadvantageous that the restoring spring is disposed in a pressure chamber, which has the valve seat and through which aggressive blowby gases flow out of the crankcase. The blowby gases for instance have a corrosive, etching effect on the material of the restoring spring, shortening the service life and lessening the spring force of the restoring spring. This has a highly adverse effect on the regulation of the pressure in the crankcase. In the pressure regulating valve of the invention, the service life of the restoring spring is increased. According to the invention, the restoring spring (31) is embodied as a tension spring and is located on the side of the valve closing body (15) facing away from the valve seat (12).

Abstract: A method for ascertaining the leakage from injection systems is proposed which is fully automatable and which furnishes unambiguous measurement results, which make a simple decision possible about the tightness of an injection system, in particular of an injector or of an injection valve.

Abstract: Known pressure regulating valves have a valve closing body, which cooperates with a valve seat, and a restoring spring, which acts on a valve closing body in the direction facing away from the valve seat. It is disadvantageous that the restoring spring is disposed in a pressure chamber, which has the valve seat and through which aggressive blowby gases flow out of the crankcase. The blowby gases for instance have a corrosive, etching effect on the material of the restoring spring, shortening the service life and lessening the spring force of the restoring spring. This has a highly adverse effect on the regulation of the pressure in the crankcase. In the pressure regulating valve of the invention, the service life of the restoring spring is increased. According to the invention, the restoring spring (31) is embodied as a tension spring and is located on the side of the valve closing body (15) facing away from the valve seat (12).

Abstract: The invention relates to an oil separating device for separating out oil droplets conveyed in a crankcase gas flow released by a crankcase ventilation of an internal combustion engine, including at least one separating element, at least part of which the gas flow passes through. The invention provides that the separating element (6) contains a granulate (22) comprised of a plastic. This measure achieves a high separation rate of smaller oil droplets.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for the recognition of objects in an image, where the objects may consist of an arbitrary number of parts that are allowed to move with respect to each other. In the offline phase the invention automatically learns the relative movements of the single object parts from a sequence of example images and builds a hierarchical model that incorporates a description of the single object parts, the relations between the parts, and an efficient search strategy. This is done by analyzing the pose variations (e.g., variations in position, orientation, and scale) of the single object parts in the example images. The poses can be obtained by an arbitrary similarity measure for object recognition, e.g., normalized cross correlation, Hausdorff distance, generalized Hough transform, the modification of the generalized Hough transform, or the similarity measure. In the online phase the invention uses the hierarchical model to efficiently find the entire object in the search image.