Patents by Inventor Nickolas J. Mullan

Nickolas J. Mullan 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: 11966996
    Abstract: This invention provides a system and method that performs 3D imaging of a complex object, where image data is likely lost. Available 3D image data, in combination with an absence/loss of image data, allows computation of x, y and z dimensions. Absence/loss of data is assumed to be just another type of image data, and represents the presence of something that has prevented accurate data from being generated in the subject image. Segments of data can be connected to areas of absent data and generate a maximum bounding box. The shadow that this object generates can be represented as negative or missing data, but is not representative of the physical object. The height from the positive data, the object shadow size based on that height, the location in the FOV, and the ray angles that generate the images, are estimated and the object shadow size is removed from the result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Cognex Corporation
    Inventors: Gang Liu, Ben R. Carey, Nickolas J. Mullan, Caleb Spear, Andrew Parrett
  • 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: 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: 20210350495
    Abstract: This invention provides a system and method that performs 3D imaging of a complex object, where image data is likely lost. Available 3D image data, in combination with an absence/loss of image data, allows computation of x, y and z dimensions. Absence/loss of data is assumed to be just another type of image data, and represents the presence of something that has prevented accurate data from being generated in the subject image. Segments of data can be connected to areas of absent data and generate a maximum bounding box. The shadow that this object generates can be represented as negative or missing data, but is not representative of the physical object. The height from the positive data, the object shadow size based on that height, the location in the FOV, and the ray angles that generate the images, are estimated and the object shadow size is removed from the result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Inventors: Gang Liu, Ben R. Carey, Nickolas J. Mullan, Caleb Spear, Andrew Parrett
  • 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