Analysis of images of applied fluorescent adhesive

Abstract

This article describes a system and method for analyzing the application of an adhesive. An adhesive including a fluorescent property is applied to a component. The component is illuminated using light of one or more wavelengths from a light source, wherein the adhesive is configured to absorb the one or more wavelengths of light and fluoresce in response. While the component is illuminated using the light source, an image of the component is captured using a camera. One or more fluorescent properties are determined from the image, and a state of the applied adhesive is determined based on the one or more fluorescent properties.

Description

Background Art

[0001] In a manufacturing process, a machine may be used to apply an adhesive to a first object in order to secure it to a second object. In some manufacturing processes, a vision system is used to analyze whether parts are properly assembled. In some cases, when the objects being assembled are similar in color, the vision system may not be able to accurately determine whether the parts are properly assembled because the vision system may not be able to accurately determine the exact positioning of the assembled parts or be able to discern where one part ends and another begins.

[0002] The present disclosure is directed to providing improved techniques for determining whether a manufacturing process is operating correctly. The present disclosure is also directed to solving the problem of analyzing images in which the object being imaged is poorly illuminated. Further, the present disclosure is directed to solving the problem of analyzing images in which the applied adhesive and the object to which the adhesive is applied have similar colors. Summary of the invention

[0003] This article describes a system and method for analyzing the application of an adhesive. In some aspects, an adhesive including a fluorescent property is applied to a component. The component is illuminated using light of one or more wavelengths from a light source, wherein the adhesive is configured to absorb the light of the one or more wavelengths and fluoresce in response. When the light source is used to illuminate the component, a camera is used to capture an image of the component. One or more fluorescent properties are determined based on the image, and the state of the applied adhesive is determined based on the one or more fluorescent properties.

[0004] In some embodiments, the light source is an ultraviolet light source. In some embodiments, determining the one or more fluorescence characteristics comprises comparing the captured image to an image of the sample.

[0005] In some embodiments, determining the one or more fluorescent characteristics includes determining a fluorescent shape based on the image, and determining whether the fluorescent shape is similar to an expected fluorescent shape. In some embodiments, in response to determining that the fluorescent shape is substantially similar to the expected fluorescent shape, determining that the adhesive is correctly applied; and in response to determining that the fluorescent shape is not substantially similar to the expected fluorescent shape, determining that the adhesive is incorrectly applied.

[0006] In some embodiments, determining the one or more fluorescence characteristics includes determining a fluorescence level based on the image, and determining whether the fluorescence level in the image is similar to an expected fluorescence level. In some embodiments, in response to determining that the fluorescence level is substantially similar to the expected fluorescence level, determining that the adhesive is correctly applied; and in response to determining that the fluorescence level is substantially not similar to the expected fluorescence level, determining that the adhesive is incorrectly applied. In some embodiments, in response to determining that the fluorescence level is substantially not similar to the expected fluorescence level, determining that the composition of the adhesive is incorrect.

[0007] In some embodiments, determining the one or more fluorescence characteristics includes determining a fluorescence location based on the image, and determining whether the fluorescence location is similar to an expected fluorescence location. In some embodiments, in response to determining that the fluorescence location is substantially similar to the expected fluorescence location, determining that the adhesive is correctly applied; and in response to determining that the fluorescence location is not substantially similar to the expected fluorescence location, determining that the adhesive is incorrectly applied.

[0008] In some embodiments, the camera is a first camera located at a first position and wherein the image is a first image. A second image is captured from a second camera located at a second position different from the first position, and the first image and the second image are analyzed to determine a height profile of the applied adhesive.

[0009] In some embodiments, the adhesive and the component are similar colors. In some embodiments, the adhesive has a certain level of transparency.

[0010] In some embodiments, determining the state of the applied adhesive comprises comparing one or more characteristics of the image to one or more thresholds corresponding to the one or more characteristics. In some embodiments, determining the one or more fluorescence characteristics comprises determining one or more of a volume of the applied adhesive and a height profile of the applied adhesive.

[0011] In some embodiments, a first image is captured at a first time, a later image of the component is captured at a second later time, and the image and the later image are compared to determine a time-lapse characteristic of the component. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The above and other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent by considering the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout, and wherein:

[0013] Figure 1 depicts a block diagram of an apparatus for applying an adhesive to a first object according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 2 depicts a diagram of an apparatus for applying an adhesive to a first object according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 3 depicts panels of illustrative components and adhesive shapes according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 4 depicts a collection of batteries glued to a surface according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0017] Figure 5 Depicted is a schematic flow chart of an exemplary process for applying an adhesive to a surface according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] Systems and methods described herein add fluorescent components to adhesive to help analyze whether adhesive is correctly applied on a specific surface. In some embodiments, the color of the adhesive applied and the applied surface may be substantially similar. In such embodiments, conventional image analysis software may not be able to fully distinguish between the adhesive applied and the surface. Therefore, image analysis software may not be able to properly infer whether adhesive is correctly applied.

[0019] To secure two components together, adhesive may be applied to the surface of one of the components, and then the other component may be applied to the first component. To ensure proper attachment of the two components, the adhesive should be applied in a specific location and in a specific shape.

[0020] Figure 3Describe the panel 302 of schematic components and adhesive shapes according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Component 310 includes applied adhesive 312. Applied adhesive 312 has a specific shape and is located on the left side of component 310. Components 320, 330 and 340 are other schematic components with applied adhesive 322, 332 and 342 respectively. The shapes and positions of applied adhesives 312, 322, 332 and 342 are all different. During the manufacturing process, it may be difficult to repeatedly apply adhesive to components in the same position and shape. For example, the consistency of the adhesive can change within the adhesive batch, and can change over time when the adhesive hardens. For example, between applications, different amounts of residual adhesive can be kept on the adhesive dispersing nozzle. This can cause the shape and position of the applied adhesive to be different for each adhesive application. The shape and position of the applied adhesive can be analyzed to determine whether they are correctly applied. In some embodiments, the applied adhesive is compared with one or more sample shapes. Panel 302 includes sample component 350 having sample adhesive shape 352. Applied adhesives 312, 322, 332, and 342 may be compared to sample adhesive shape 310 to determine whether the shapes are similar to sample shape 310. Applied adhesives that are sufficiently similar to sample shape 310 may be determined to be properly applied.

[0021] In some embodiments, comparing the applied adhesive to the sample shape may involve performing a pixel-by-pixel comparison, or comparison of the dimensions of sample shape 310 to the dimensions of applied adhesive 312 , 322 , 332 , and 342 .

[0022] In some embodiments, the components depicted in panel 902 are images of components taken when a light source is turned on to cause the adhesive to fluoresce. In some embodiments, the comparison of the applied adhesive with the sample shape includes comparing the color of the adhesive with the color of the sample shape. The color of the applied adhesive indicates the amount of fluorescence or the level of fluorescence. The level of fluorescence may need to be sufficiently similar to the level of fluorescence of the sample shape in order to determine that the adhesive is properly applied.

[0023] In some embodiments of applied adhesives 312, 322, 332, and 342, only one adhesive (ie, applied adhesive 312) may be sufficiently similar to sample image 352 to be considered properly applied.

[0024] Figure 1 A block diagram of an apparatus for applying an adhesive on a first object is depicted, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 1A control circuit 102 is depicted, which includes a storage device 104, a program / code module 106, and an image analysis module 108. In some embodiments, the program / code module 106 includes instructions for controlling various parts of the device. For example, the program / code module 106 includes instructions for controlling the adhesive dispensing module 110. In some embodiments, the program / code module 106 can communicate with all other elements of the system 100, such as the adhesive dispensing module 110, the light source 120, and the camera 122. In some embodiments, if it is determined that the system is not operating correctly, the components of the program / code module 106 may need to be updated.

[0025] Adhesive dispersing module 110 is responsible for applying adhesive on the surface. Adhesive dispersing module 110 includes adhesive 112 and dye 114. In some embodiments, dye can be colored or transparent. In some embodiments, dye can include fluorescent components that can be illuminated by light of a specific wavelength (e.g., UV light). Mixing module 116 is responsible for mixing adhesive and dye together. Control circuit 102 can instruct mixing module 116 to mix a predetermined portion of adhesive 112 with a fixed amount of dye 114. In some embodiments, the amount of adhesive 112 and dye 114 to be mixed together can be programmed by the user in the program / code module 106 of control circuit 102. In some embodiments, the amount of adhesive 112 and dye 114 to be mixed together can be modified based on the fluorescence level detected from the image of the applied adhesive. In some embodiments, the amount of dye and adhesive to be mixed can be based on the color of adhesive 112 or the color of dye 114. In some embodiments, adhesive is a two-part adhesive (e.g., resin and hardener) and dye 114 is included in one of the two parts. In such embodiments, the mixing module 116 mixes the resin and hardener together, and thus also mixes the dye 114 into the adhesive.

[0026] The adhesive dispersing module may also include an auxiliary sensor 118. In some embodiments, the auxiliary sensor 118 may track the correct positioning of the surface before applying the adhesive. For example, the auxiliary sensor 118 may include a sensor for recording a conveyor belt, which carries a plurality of components to be placed below the adhesive dispersing module 110 to apply the adhesive. In this example, the auxiliary sensor 118 may include a motion sensor, and only when the control circuit 102 receives an indication that the conveyor belt carrying the component has completely stopped from the auxiliary sensor 118, the control circuit 102 will instruct the adhesive dispersing module to apply the adhesive on the surface of the component. In some embodiments, the auxiliary sensor 118 may include a sensor for tracking the amount of the adhesive 112 and the dye 114 in the adhesive dispersing module 110. In this embodiment, the auxiliary sensor 118 may instruct the control circuit to suspend the application of the adhesive until the adhesive 112 or the dye 114 is replenished.

[0027] The control circuit 102 controls the light source 120 and the camera 122. The light source 120 is used to illuminate the area of ​​the surface containing the applied adhesive. For example, after the adhesive dispensing module 110 completes applying the adhesive on the surface, the auxiliary sensor 118 can notify the control circuit 102 that the process of applying the adhesive is completed. The control circuit 102 can then instruct the light source 120 to illuminate the applied adhesive. Once the light source 120 is turned on to illuminate the applied adhesive, the control circuit 102 can request the camera 122 to capture an image of the area with the applied adhesive.

[0028] In some embodiments, the captured image of the applied adhesive on the surface is stored in a storage device 104 that is part of the control circuit 102. The captured image is analyzed by the image analysis module 108. For example, the control circuit 102 can use the image analysis module 108 to determine one or more fluorescence characteristics from the captured image. In some embodiments, the fluorescence characteristics may include the shape of the fluorescence, the location of the fluorescence, and the level of the fluorescence.

[0029] In some embodiments, determining whether the adhesive is applied correctly may include the image analysis module 108 determining the shape of the fluorescence from the captured image. The determination of the fluorescence shape by the image analysis module 108 may involve any suitable object recognition technology. In some embodiments, the image analysis module 108 may compare the detected fluorescence image from the captured image with an expected fluorescence shape stored on the storage device 104. In some embodiments, the expected fluorescence shape may be a sample image stored on the storage device 108 by a user.

[0030] In some embodiments, the expected fluorescent shape can be a collection of measurements indicating the expected size of the applied adhesive. In such embodiments, the image analysis module 108 can determine the measurements of the fluorescent portion of the captured image and compare the determined measurements with the stored expected size of the applied adhesive. For example, the expected shape can be a circle with a specific radius. The radius of the shape of the applied adhesive can be compared to the expected shape to determine whether the shape of the applied adhesive is similar to the expected shape.

[0031] In the event that image analysis module 108 determines that the shape of the applied adhesive in the captured image is substantially similar to the expected fluorescent shape, image analysis module 108 notifies program code 106 of control circuit 102 that the fluorescent shape of the applied adhesive is correct.

[0032] In the event that the image analysis module 108 determines that the shape of the applied adhesive in the captured image is not substantially similar to the expected fluorescent shape, the image analysis module 108 notifies the program code 106 of the control circuit 102 that the adhesive was incorrectly applied by the adhesive dispensing module 110. In some embodiments, upon determining that the adhesive was incorrectly applied, the program / code 106 of the control circuit 102 may stop the manufacturing process in order to determine and resolve the problem with the adhesive application. In some embodiments, the control circuit 102 may recalibrate the movement of the adhesive dispensing module 110.

[0033] In some embodiments, determining whether the adhesive is correctly applied may include determining the amount of fluorescence in the captured image. The image analysis module 108 may determine the fluorescence level of the fluorescent area of ​​the image. For example, the image analysis module 108 may determine the fluorescence level based on the color detected from the captured image. In some other examples, given other parameters, the control circuit 102 may use the unit "lux" (lx) for measuring surface illumination to determine the fluorescence level of the fluorescent area. The unit lux is the derivative of lumen (L), which is a measure of the total amount of light emitted by the surface, which can also be used to quantify the fluorescence level of the fluorescent area in some examples. The image analysis module extracts the expected fluorescence level from the storage device 104. The expected fluorescence level can be stored as a measurement in units (such as color, lux, lumen, candela or other units). In some embodiments, the image analysis module 108 can compare the detected fluorescence level from the captured image with the expected fluorescence level stored in the storage device 108.

[0034] In some embodiments, the expected fluorescence level may be stored as an expected color. The image analysis module 108 may compare the expected color to a color determined based on the fluorescent portion of the captured image. For example, the expected color may be encoded as a red, green, and blue value ranging between 0 and 255. The image analysis module 108 may compare the expected color to a color determined in the captured image. To facilitate comparison, the image analysis module 108 may encode the determined color with the same red value, green value, and blue value.

[0035] When image analysis module 108 determines that the determined fluorescence level of the captured image is substantially similar to the expected fluorescence level stored in storage device 104 (e.g., less than a threshold amount away from the expected value), image analysis module 108 notifies program / code module 106 that the amount of fluorescence of the adhesive is correct. In the event that image analysis module 108 determines that the fluorescence level in the captured image is not substantially similar to the expected fluorescence level in storage device 104, image analysis module 108 notifies program / code module 106 that the adhesive was incorrectly applied.

[0036] In some embodiments, upon determining that the fluorescence of the captured image is not similar to the expected fluorescence level, program / code module 106 may infer that the composition of the adhesive in mixing module 116 is incorrect. In some embodiments, mixing module 116 may have mixed too little dye with adhesive 112, which may cause the detected fluorescence of the captured image of camera 122 to be lower than the expected fluorescence value stored on storage device 104. In such cases, program / code module 106 may instruct mixing module 116 of adhesive dispensing module 110 to add more dye 114 to adhesive 112. The amount of dye to be added may be determined based on the determined fluorescence level of the captured image from image analysis module 108. For example, in the case where the fluorescence level is determined to be 10 lumens and the expected fluorescence level is 25 lumens, program / code module 106 may be configured to increase the dye 114 in adhesive 112 based on factors such as the intensity of light source 120 and the luminescence of dye 114.

[0037] Similarly, upon determining that the detected fluorescence in the captured image is greater than the expected fluorescence, program / code module 106 may instruct mixing module 116 to reduce the amount of dye 114 mixed in adhesive 112 in the next batch of adhesive. In some embodiments, program / code module 106 may instruct mixing module 116 to reduce the amount of dye mixed in adhesive 112 based on the difference between the detected fluorescence in the captured image and the expected fluorescence.

[0038] In some embodiments, determining the location of the fluorescence may also include determining whether a portion of the fluorescence in the captured image is within a certain area. For example, the image analysis module 108 may determine whether approximately 70% of the fluorescence of the fluorescent area is within a predetermined area of ​​3 square centimeters. The predetermined area may be stored in the storage device 104. The fluorescence percentage may be determined by determining the fluorescent area in the captured image and determining whether at least 70% of the area is within the predetermined area. The predefined area may be programmed and stored in the storage device 104. For example, in some cases, the predetermined area may be a quadrant with a radius of 10 centimeters on the upper left edge of the surface. In this example, if at least 70% of the applied adhesive is within the quadrant, the image analysis module 108 may notify the program / code module 106 that the adhesive is correctly applied. If 70% of the applied adhesive is not within the predefined quadrant, the adhesive is not properly applied.

[0039] In some embodiments, determining whether the adhesive was applied correctly may include image analysis module 108 determining a fluorescent position by determining a position of a fluorescent portion in the captured image relative to the rest of the surface on which the adhesive was applied. Based on the expected position stored in storage device 104, image analysis module 108 may determine whether the fluorescent position in the captured position is similar to the expected position in storage device 104.

[0040] If it is determined that the fluorescent position in the captured image is substantially similar to the expected fluorescent position in the storage device 104, the image analysis module 108 can determine that the adhesive is correctly applied. When the fluorescent position is not substantially similar to the expected fluorescent position, the image analysis module 108 can determine that the adhesive is incorrectly applied. The image analysis module 108 can communicate this determination to the program / code module 106.

[0041] In some embodiments, the image analysis module can determine the aforementioned fluorescence characteristics (e.g., location, fluorescence level, shape, area) by comparing the image of the surface with the applied adhesive to the sample image stored in the storage device 104. For example, the image analysis module can perform a pixel-by-pixel comparison of the two images to determine which pixels are fluorescent and which pixels are dark, thereby determining whether the adhesive was correctly applied and only the correct portion of the captured image was illuminated.

[0042] In some embodiments, the image comparison may constitute comparing portions of the two images separately. For example, the image analysis module 108 may extract the fluorescent portion of the captured image and compare it to the expected fluorescent shape of only the fluorescent portion of the sample image. In such an example, the image analysis module may compare a portion of the captured image to a portion of the sample image to determine whether the shape of the applied adhesive is correct.

[0043] In some embodiments, the pixel-by-pixel comparison may compare the color of each pixel of the captured image with the corresponding pixel of the expected image. In some embodiments, the control circuit 102 may determine the color of each pixel and compare the determined color with the color range of the pixel. The color range may be stored in a database with a color range for each pixel. In some embodiments, a database of color ranges for each pixel (rather than a sample image) may be stored in a storage device 104. When the color of a predetermined threshold number of pixels is not within the range specified in the database, the control circuit 102 may determine that there is an error with respect to the applied adhesive. For example, if 10% of the pixels of the captured image have colors that are not within the color range specified in the database, the control circuit 102 may determine that the applied adhesive is incorrect in terms of application or composition. The color database containing the predetermined color of each pixel may be manually programmed by the user through color values. In some embodiments, the control circuit 102 may determine the color of each pixel within the sample image, store them in the storage device 104, and compare the color of each pixel with the color of each pixel in the captured image.

[0044] In some embodiments, the control circuit 102 may determine the outline of the shape of the fluorescent portion of the image. The control circuit 102 may be able to detect the outermost pixels of the fluorescent portion (e.g., by using edge finding techniques) to determine the shape of the fluorescent portion of the image. In such embodiments, the address of each pixel that is part of the outline of the fluorescent portion may be compared with the sample outline (e.g., in the sample image) to determine the shape of the fluorescent portion of the captured image and compare it with the shape of the illuminated portion of the sample image. In some embodiments, the sample outline may have a predetermined thickness. The predetermined thickness may be a tolerance region that may indicate the region in which the outline must fit so that the control circuit 102 determines that the shape of the applied adhesive is substantially similar to the sample shape. The control circuit 102 may superimpose the outline on the sample outline to determine whether the outline fits within the tolerance region of the sample outline. When the control circuit 102 determines that the outline is not completely within the tolerance region, the control circuit 102 determines that the shape of the applied adhesive is not substantially similar and is therefore incorrect.

[0045] In some examples, the control circuit 102 may superimpose the contour on the sample contour and calculate the minimum distance between each point (e.g., pixel position) of the contour and the sample contour. In some embodiments, the sample contour may be represented by a predetermined number of points evenly distributed along the sample contour. In some embodiments, the predetermined number of points may be manually assigned or automatically assigned to the sample contour. In some embodiments, after the contour is superimposed on the sample contour, the control circuit 102 may calculate the distance between each point of the contour and the corresponding nearest point in the predetermined points of the sample contour. When the control circuit 102 determines that a sufficient number (e.g., all or greater than 90%) of the calculated distances are within the allowable distance, the control circuit 102 determines that the shape of the applied adhesive is substantially similar to the shape of the contour. Otherwise, the control circuit 102 determines that the shape is incorrect. In the aforementioned technology, the control circuit 102 is able to ensure that the shape of the applied adhesive is within a specific allowable range.

[0046] In some embodiments, the control circuit 102 may also determine a change in color consistency of the fluorescent portion of the captured image. In such embodiments, if the color of the fluorescent portion of the image changes by more than a certain amount, the control circuit 102 may determine that the adhesive was not mixed properly or that the amount of dye or adhesive is incorrect.

[0047] In some embodiments, more than one camera 122 may be used to capture images of the applied adhesive on the surface. In some embodiments, different cameras may capture images of illuminated portions of components with applied adhesive from different angles. In some embodiments, images from the first camera and the second camera may be put together to determine the height profile of the applied adhesive. For example, images captured from different cameras positioned at different angles may be combined with trigonometric formulas to determine the height profile of the applied adhesive. The height profile is another characteristic of the applied adhesive that can be used to determine whether the correct amount of adhesive is applied on the surface. In some embodiments, the height profile may be integrated with the size of the adhesive to determine the volume of the applied adhesive on the component surface. The determined volume may be compared with one or more thresholds (e.g., an upper threshold and a lower threshold) to determine whether the volume of the applied adhesive is correct.

[0048] In some embodiments, the applied adhesive may be transparent and may not have any color associated with it under normal conditions. In such embodiments, the image analysis module 108 may be able to correlate the level of fluorescence produced by the transparent adhesive with the volume of the applied adhesive. The fluorescence produced in the image may be sufficient to determine whether the fluorescence of the applied adhesive is substantially similar to the threshold fluorescence of the adhesive required to be applied on the surface.

[0049] In some embodiments, the properties of the adhesive may change after a period of time has passed since the adhesive was applied. In some embodiments, the control circuit 102 may instruct the camera 122 to capture a first image at a first time and a second image of the surface at a second time after the first time; and compare the image and the later image to determine the time-lapse characteristics of the component. In some embodiments, the second camera may take a first image when the object is in a first position and take a second image when the object is in a second position (e.g., the object may be moving along an assembly line), so that images are effectively taken from 2 different angles, which allows the volume to be determined in a manner similar to the previous paragraph.

[0050] Figure 2 A diagram depicting an apparatus for applying an adhesive to a first object according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 2 Depicted Figure 1 The adhesive dispensing module 110 is configured to dispense adhesive onto an object 208 upon receiving instructions from the control circuit 102. The adhesive dispensing module 110 also includes a nozzle 204 for dispensing adhesive 210 onto an object 208 placed below the adhesive dispensing module 110. The adhesive dispensing module 110 also has a light source 202 that can be used to illuminate the portion of the object 208 having the applied adhesive 210. The light source 208 can be configured or instructed by the control circuit 102 to emit light of a specific wavelength (e.g., ultraviolet light). The adhesive dispensing module also has an attached camera 206, which the control circuit 102 can instruct to capture one or more images of the portion of the object 208 having the applied adhesive 210. Components of the adhesive dispensing module 110 can be connected to the control circuit 102, such as in conjunction with Figure 1 The control circuit 102 may be programmed to detect the shape, position, volume, and color of the adhesive 210. In some embodiments, the adhesive dispensing module 110 may have more than one camera 206 attached to the dispensing module. In some embodiments, Figure 1 The components need not all be coupled to 110. The camera and light source may be positioned elsewhere, etc.

[0051] The systems and methods of the present disclosure can be used in various manufacturing situations in which adhesives are used. For example, the first situation is when the surface on which the adhesive is applied has a color similar to the color of the adhesive. In this case, it may be difficult to determine whether the applied adhesive is correctly applied because it may be difficult to visually distinguish the adhesive from the surface. For example, the second situation is when there are close tolerances for the amount of adhesive that needs to be used and / or for the position of the applied adhesive. In such cases, it may be challenging to determine the position and amount of the adhesive. For example, the third situation is when the adhesive is applied to a component that is difficult to observe or illuminate. For example, the fourth situation is when a large number of parts may need to be glued together, and if an error occurs, it is time-consuming or expensive to repair. Therefore, the process of applying an adhesive with a fluorescent component allows the applied adhesive to be easily detected, which is activated when illuminated by light of a specific wavelength. Before placing a second component on the component, easy detection of the shape, size, position and other characteristics of the applied adhesive can be used to determine whether the adhesive is correctly applied. In some embodiments, the system and method can be used to manufacture a battery module containing multiple battery cells. For example, some battery modules, such as electric vehicle battery modules and power generation battery modules, use a large number of battery cells.

[0052] Figure 4 Depicted is a collection of batteries glued to a surface according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 4 A practical application of the following process is shown: applying adhesive to a first surface, determining whether the adhesive is properly applied, and then placing a battery cell on the properly applied adhesive. Surface 402 is a base surface (e.g., an inner surface of a battery module housing) to which a battery cell 404 is attached. Figure 4The number of battery cells 404 depicted in is exemplary, and any suitable number of battery cells can be used. For example, some general electric vehicles use between 300 and 500 battery cells in each module. In some embodiments, surface 402 can be a surface on which an adhesive is applied. When it is determined that the adhesive is correctly applied, the battery cells 404 can be placed on surface 402. In some embodiments, the adhesive can be applied all at the same time and before any battery cell 404 is installed. In some embodiments, the adhesive can be applied to a single row or column at a time, and then the battery cells 404 of the row or column are installed. In some embodiments, the adhesive is applied to a single battery cell 404 at a time. This process allows the manufacturer to stop the manufacturing process and fix errors that may occur in the application of the adhesive, and then continue to complete the battery module. In this way, the entire battery module is not assembled before the error is identified. In some embodiments, the color of the surface 402 and the color of the applied adhesive can be similar, and the control circuit 102 may not accurately or consistently distinguish the shape of the applied adhesive to determine whether the adhesive is correctly applied when the fluorescent component (e.g., dye 114) is not mixed with the adhesive.

[0053] Figure 5 A schematic flow diagram of an exemplary process 500 for applying an adhesive to a surface according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is depicted. At 502, an adhesive (e.g., adhesive 112) including a fluorescent component (e.g., dye 114) is applied to a first object. For example, the adhesive can be applied using adhesive dispensing module 110.

[0054] At 504, a camera is used to capture an image of the component while the component is illuminated using light source 120. For example, camera 122 may be used to capture the image.

[0055] At decision block 506, the control circuit (e.g., control circuit 102) determines whether the applied adhesive is transparent. In some embodiments, the type of adhesive may be input to the control circuit 102 by a user. In some embodiments, the type of adhesive is received from the adhesive dispensing module. When the control circuit determines that the adhesive is not transparent, the process moves to decision block 508 to determine whether a second camera is available. When the control circuit determines that the adhesive is transparent, the process moves to decision block 514 to determine whether the amount of fluorescence in the image is within a certain range.

[0056] At decision block 514, the control circuit determines whether the amount of fluorescence of the applied adhesive is within a predetermined range. For example, the fluorescence level of the image can be measured based on the colors recorded in the captured image. The color of the illuminated portion of the captured image can be encoded in RGB format, where the red value, blue value, and green value are within a range between 0 and 255. The color of the captured image can be compared with a range of values ​​that can be fed to the control circuit 102 by the user, or can be extracted from the color captured based on the sample image in the storage device 104. In some embodiments, when the amount of fluorescence is too small, not enough adhesive is applied at 502. In some embodiments, when the amount of fluorescence is too much, too much adhesive is applied at 502. When the amount of fluorescence is within the range, the process proceeds to decision block 508 to determine whether the second camera is available. When the amount of fluorescence in the image is not within the range, the process determines at 520 that the adhesive is incorrectly applied.

[0057] At decision block 508, the control circuit determines whether a second camera is available. In some embodiments, the second camera is different from the first camera and captures additional images of the component from different angles. In some embodiments, the second camera is the first camera, wherein the first camera can capture additional images when the component is in a second position (e.g., the component can move along an assembly line) so that the additional images are taken from a different angle than the first image. When the second camera is not available, the process proceeds to decision block 510 to determine whether the fluorescent characteristics of the image are within range. When the second camera is available, the process moves to 516 to capture additional images.

[0058] At 516, the control circuit captures additional images of the component when the light source is used to illuminate the component. The additional images may be captured by the first camera or the second camera. In some embodiments, the two images are taken from different angles. This allows the height profile and volume of the adhesive to be determined, as further described above.

[0059] At decision block 518, the control circuit determines whether the height profile of the adhesive is within the range. For example, the height profile can be compared with a lower height threshold and a higher height threshold. When the height profile is between two thresholds, the height profile is within the range. In some embodiments, the height profile is converted to the volume of the adhesive, and the volume of the adhesive is compared with a lower volume threshold and an upper volume threshold to determine whether the height profile is within the range. The height profile is another characteristic of the applied adhesive, which can be used to determine whether the correct amount of adhesive is applied to the component. When the height profile of the adhesive is within a predetermined range, the process proceeds to decision block 510 to determine whether the fluorescent characteristics of the image are within the range. When the height profile is determined to be not within the range, the process proceeds to 520 to determine that the adhesive is incorrectly applied.

[0060] At decision box 510, control circuit 102 determines whether the fluorescence characteristics of the image are within the range. When the fluorescence characteristics are determined to be within the range, the process determines at 512 that the adhesive is correctly applied. The fluorescence characteristics include fluorescence shape, fluorescence position and fluorescence amount. In some embodiments, these characteristics are determined by pixel-by-pixel analysis of the captured image. The control circuit may have a record of the expected color of each pixel. The expected color of each pixel can be compared with the captured color of each pixel to determine whether the captured color of the pixel is within the threshold color range. Using this technology, the control circuit may be able to simultaneously confirm whether the fluorescence shape, fluorescence position and fluorescence amount are all within the range. When one or more parameters are not within the predetermined range, the control circuit may determine that the adhesive is incorrectly applied. When the fluorescence characteristics are determined to be not within the range, the process determines at 520 that the adhesive is incorrectly applied.

[0061] It should be understood that Figure 5 The process 500 is exemplary only and may be modified in any suitable manner according to the present disclosure. For example, in some embodiments, the adhesive is colored and 506 and 514 may be omitted from the process 500. As another example, in some embodiments, only a single image may be used and 508, 516, and 518 may be omitted. It should also be understood that any technique described herein for determining fluorescence characteristics may be used at 510. In some embodiments, one, two, three, or more fluorescence characteristics are evaluated at 510. It should also be understood that when the adhesive at 520 is not applied correctly, any suitable corrective action may be taken. Corrective actions may be performed automatically (e.g., when not enough adhesive is applied) or prompts may be provided to the operator.

[0062] The embodiments and examples discussed above are intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the components of the components and steps of the processes discussed herein may be omitted, modified, combined and / or rearranged without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, and any additional components or steps may be performed. More generally, the above disclosure is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Only the appended claims are intended to set the boundaries of what is included with respect to the present disclosure. In addition, it should be noted that the features and limitations described in any one embodiment may be applied to any other embodiment herein, and examples associated with one embodiment may be combined with any other embodiment in a suitable manner. It should also be noted that the above-described systems and / or methods may be applied to or used according to other systems and / or methods.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing the application of an adhesive, comprising: applying an adhesive including a fluorescent property to the component; illuminating the component using one or more wavelengths of light from a light source, wherein the adhesive is configured to absorb the one or more wavelengths of light and fluoresce in response; capturing an image of the component using a camera while illuminating the component using the light source; Determining one or more fluorescence characteristics from the image by: determining a fluorescence shape in the image; comparing the determined fluorescence shape to an expected fluorescence shape in a sample image stored in a storage device, the expected fluorescence shape being indicative of an expected size of the adhesive; determining a fluorescence level based on the image; as well as determining a volume of adhesive applied based on the determined fluorescence level; as well as The state of the applied adhesive is determined based on the one or more fluorescent characteristics by: determining whether the determined fluorescence shape is similar to the expected fluorescence shape based on the comparing; as well as A determination is made based on a volume threshold whether the determined volume is within an expected range. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the light source is an ultraviolet light source.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: responsive to determining that the determined fluorescent shape is similar to the expected fluorescent shape, determining that the adhesive is properly applied; as well as In response to determining that the determined fluorescent shape is not similar to the expected fluorescent shape, it is determined that the adhesive was incorrectly applied.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the one or more fluorescence characteristics further comprises: A determination is made as to whether the measurement of the fluorescence level in the image is similar to a measurement of an expected fluorescence level.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: responsive to determining that the measured value of the fluorescence level is similar to the measured value of the expected fluorescence level, determining that the adhesive was properly applied; or In response to determining that the measurement of the fluorescence level is not similar to the measurement of the expected fluorescence level, it is determined that the adhesive was incorrectly applied.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: In response to determining that the measurement of the fluorescence level is not similar to the measurement of the expected fluorescence level, it is determined that the composition of the adhesive is incorrect.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the one or more fluorescence characteristics further comprises: determining a fluorescence position based on the image; as well as It is determined whether the fluorescent position is similar to an expected fluorescent position.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: responsive to determining that the fluorescent location is similar to the expected fluorescent location, determining that the adhesive was properly applied; or In response to determining that the fluorescent location is not similar to the expected fluorescent location, it is determined that the adhesive was incorrectly applied.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the camera is a first camera located at a first location and wherein the image is a first image, the method further comprising: capturing a second image from a second camera located at a second location different from the first location; as well as The first image and the second image are analyzed to determine the height of the applied adhesive.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the adhesive and the component are similar colors.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the adhesive has a certain level of transparency.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a state of the applied adhesive further comprises comparing one or more characteristics of the image to one or more threshold values ​​corresponding to the one or more characteristics.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining whether the altitude is within an expected range based on an altitude threshold.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: capturing the image at a first instant; capturing a later image of the component at a second time, wherein the second time is after the first time; as well as The image and the later image are compared to determine a time-delay characteristic of the component.

15. A system for analyzing an adhesive, comprising: an adhesive dispensing module, wherein the adhesive dispensing module comprises an adhesive including a fluorescent property; a light source configured to emit light at one or more wavelengths, wherein the adhesive is configured to absorb the one or more wavelengths of light and fluoresce in response; camera; as well as A control circuit, the control circuit being configured to: causing the adhesive dispensing module to apply the adhesive to a component; causing the light source to illuminate the component with light of one or more wavelengths; causing the camera to capture an image of the component while illuminating the component using the light source; Determining one or more fluorescence characteristics based on the image in a measuring unit by: determining a fluorescence shape in the image; comparing the determined fluorescence shape to an expected fluorescence shape in a sample image stored in a storage device, the expected fluorescence shape being indicative of an expected size of the adhesive; determining a fluorescence level based on the image; determining a volume of adhesive applied based on the determined fluorescence level; as well as The state of the applied adhesive is determined based on the one or more fluorescent characteristics by: determining whether the determined fluorescence shape is similar to the expected fluorescence shape based on the comparing; as well as A determination is made based on a volume threshold whether the determined volume is within an expected range.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the camera is a first camera located at a first location and wherein the image is a first image, the system further comprising: a second camera located at a second location different from the first location and capturing a second image; as well as The control circuit is further configured to analyze the first image and the second image to determine a height of the applied adhesive.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the light source is an ultraviolet light source.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the control circuit is further configured to: determining fluorescence uniformity within a region of the image; determining whether the fluorescence consistency is similar to an expected fluorescence consistency; and In response to determining that the fluorescence consistency is not similar to the expected fluorescence consistency, causing the adhesive dispensing module to remix the adhesive in the adhesive dispensing module.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the control circuit is further configured to determine whether the height of the adhesive is within a desired range based on a height threshold.

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