System and device for checking coating state and operation method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and a device for checking a coating state and an operation method thereof. An operation method of an apparatus for inspecting a coating state according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may comprise: a step of photographing at least a partial region of a substrate, which includes a first region coated with a first substance and a second region not coated with the first substance, with a photographing module to obtain an inspection image, and coating a second substance on a partial region of the first substance and a partial region of the second region; a step of generating a luminance histogram related to the luminance of the inspection image on the basis of a pre-trained luminance distribution estimation model; and a step of estimating an overlapping section in which the second substance and the first substance overlap on the basis of the generated luminance histogram.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a system and apparatus for inspecting a coating state and an operating method thereof. Background Art

[0002] With the development and increasing demand for various portable electronic devices, the demand for secondary batteries as energy sources for these devices is also rapidly increasing. In particular, the development and demand for lithium secondary batteries, which offer high energy density and voltage, long cycle life, and low self-discharge rates, are increasing. Furthermore, in recent years, secondary batteries have been used in electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (Hybrid EVs), energy storage systems (ESSs), and other applications.

[0003] Typically, secondary batteries have a structure where an electrode assembly consisting of a stacked positive electrode, separator, and negative electrode is immersed in an electrolyte. Such secondary batteries, when exposed to high temperatures, pose a risk of contact (short circuit) between the positive and negative electrodes. For example, if a secondary battery is exposed to external heat or an internal short circuit causes the temperature to rise, the separator may shrink, potentially causing partial contact between the positive and negative electrodes.

[0004] An insulating material is applied to a portion of the positive electrode and / or the negative electrode (e.g., the region including the boundary between the coated and uncoated portions) to prevent contact between the positive and negative electrodes. However, if the insulating material is not properly applied, short circuits between the positive and negative electrodes cannot be prevented. Therefore, a method for accurately inspecting the coating status of the insulating material is needed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] (1) Technical issues to be resolved

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a system and apparatus for inspecting a coating state with improved accuracy in estimating an overlapping interval of overlap coating, and an operating method thereof may be provided.

[0007] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a system and apparatus for inspecting a coating state with improved uniformity in quality of captured images and an operating method thereof may be provided.

[0008] The disclosed coating condition inspection system, device, and operating method thereof can be widely used in electric vehicles, battery charging stations, and other green technology fields such as solar power generation and wind power generation using batteries. Furthermore, the disclosed coating condition inspection system, device, and operating method thereof can also be used in eco-friendly electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles, which aim to prevent climate change by suppressing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

[0009] (2) Technical solution

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an operating method of an apparatus for inspecting a coating status may include: a step of using a shooting module to shoot at least a portion of an area of ​​a substrate to obtain an inspection image, wherein the substrate includes a first area coated with a first substance and a second area not coated with the first substance, and a second substance is coated on a portion of the first substance and a portion of the second area; a step of generating a brightness histogram related to the brightness of the inspection image based on a pre-trained brightness distribution estimation model; and a step of estimating an overlapping interval where the second substance and the first substance overlap based on the generated brightness histogram.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the step of generating the brightness histogram may include: a step of identifying the brightness of each pixel of the inspection image; and a step of generating a brightness histogram including a first Gaussian distribution of the first area and a second Gaussian distribution of the second area based on the identified brightness of each pixel.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the step of estimating the overlapping interval may include: estimating the first mean and first standard deviation of the first Gaussian distribution, and calculating a first reference point based on the first mean and the first standard deviation; estimating the second mean and second standard deviation of the second Gaussian distribution, and calculating a second reference point based on the second mean and the second standard deviation; and estimating the interval between the first reference point and the second reference point as the overlapping interval.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the first reference point may be set to a value three times greater than the first mean value of the first Gaussian distribution by the first standard deviation, and the second reference point may be set to a value three times less than the second mean value of the second Gaussian distribution by the second standard deviation.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the method may further include: a step of measuring shooting brightness; a step of confirming whether the shooting brightness is lower than or equal to a specified reference brightness; and a step of requesting adjustment of the shooting brightness when the shooting brightness is lower than or equal to the reference brightness.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the method may further include the step of providing an alert to adjust the shooting brightness when the shooting brightness is lower than or equal to the reference brightness.

[0016] According to one embodiment, the method may further include: a step of measuring the estimated width of the overlapping interval; a step of confirming whether the measured width of the overlapping interval is less than or equal to a specified reference size; and a step of judging that the coating state is poor when the measured width of the overlapping interval is less than or equal to the reference size.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the method may further include the step of providing an alarm indicating that the coating state is poor when the measured width of the overlapped section is smaller than or equal to the reference size.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the second substance may be transparent or translucent, or may have a color.

[0019] According to one embodiment, the substrate may include an electrode plate of a secondary battery, the first substance may include an electrode active substance, and the second substance may include an insulating substance.

[0020] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an apparatus for inspecting a coating status may include: a memory storing a pre-trained brightness distribution estimation model; a shooting module shooting at least a portion of a substrate to obtain an inspection image, wherein the substrate includes a first area coated with a first substance and a second area not coated with the first substance, and a second substance is coated on a portion of the first substance and a portion of the second area; and a processor generating a brightness histogram related to the brightness of the inspection image based on the brightness distribution estimation model, and estimating an overlapping interval where the second substance and the first substance overlap based on the generated brightness histogram.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the processor may be configured to: identify brightness of each pixel of the inspection image, and generate a brightness histogram including a first Gaussian distribution of the first area and a second Gaussian distribution of the second area based on the identified brightness of each pixel.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the processor can be configured to: estimate the first mean and first standard deviation of the first Gaussian distribution, calculate a first reference point based on the first mean and the first standard deviation, estimate the second mean and second standard deviation of the second Gaussian distribution, calculate a second reference point based on the second mean and the second standard deviation, and estimate the interval between the first reference point and the second reference point as the overlapping interval.

[0023] According to one embodiment, the processor can be configured as follows: the first reference point is set to a value three times greater than the first mean value of the first Gaussian distribution by the first standard deviation, and the second reference point is set to a value three times less than the second mean value of the second Gaussian distribution by the second standard deviation.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the device may further include a brightness measurement module for measuring the shooting brightness, and the processor may be configured to confirm whether the shooting brightness is lower than or equal to a specified reference brightness, and when the shooting brightness is lower than or equal to the reference brightness, request to adjust the shooting brightness.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the apparatus may further include an alarm module configured to provide an alarm to adjust the shooting brightness when the shooting brightness is lower than or equal to the reference brightness.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the processor can be configured to: measure the estimated width of the overlapping interval, confirm whether the estimated width of the overlapping interval is less than or equal to a specified reference size, and when the estimated width of the overlapping interval is less than or equal to the reference size, judge that the coating state is poor.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the apparatus may further include an alarm module configured to provide an alarm indicating that the coating state is poor when the estimated width of the overlapped interval is smaller than or equal to the reference size.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the substrate may include an electrode plate of a secondary battery, the first substance may include an electrode active substance, and the second substance may include an insulating substance.

[0029] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a system for inspecting a coating status may include: a conveying device for conveying an inspection object on which a first substance and a second substance are coated overlappingly in a partial interval; and a coating inspection device for photographing the inspection object using a shooting module to obtain an inspection image, generating a brightness histogram related to the brightness of the inspection image based on a pre-trained brightness distribution estimation model, estimating an overlapping interval in which the second substance and the first substance overlap based on the generated brightness histogram, and inspecting the coating status based on the estimated overlapping interval.

[0030] (3) Beneficial effects

[0031] According to one embodiment, the present disclosure can accurately identify the overlapped region of the first and second materials (hereinafter referred to as the overlapped region). For example, the present disclosure can accurately estimate the overlapped region of the electrode active material and the insulating material when manufacturing a secondary battery.

[0032] In addition, the present disclosure can improve the uniformity of the quality of the captured image of the object to be inspected for coating status (for example, maintain a certain shooting brightness). In other words, the present disclosure can maintain a certain quality of the captured image, thereby maintaining a certain level of coating status inspection. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] Figure 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a system for inspecting a coating state of an electrode of a secondary battery according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 2a FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an insulating substance-coated electrode region of a secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 2b It is along Figure 2a A cross-sectional view taken along line AA'.

[0036] Figure 3a is a flowchart for explaining a method of inspecting a coating state of an electrode of a secondary battery according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 3b Detailed description is of a flowchart for explaining a method for generating a luminance histogram and a method for estimating overlapping intervals according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating brightness measurement results of pixels included in an image according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0039] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a luminance histogram according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0040] Figure 6 1 is a flowchart for explaining a method for inspecting coating defects according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] Figure 7 is a flowchart for explaining a method for controlling a photographing environment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] Figure 8 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an apparatus for inspecting an electrode coating state of a secondary battery according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] Hereinafter, the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this is merely exemplary, and the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments described exemplarily.

[0044] Although terms such as first and second are used to describe various elements, components, and / or parts, these elements, components, and / or parts are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, or part from another element, component, or part. Therefore, within the scope of the technical concept of the present disclosure, the first element, first component, or first part mentioned below may also be the second element, second component, or second part.

[0045] The terms used in this specification are intended to describe the embodiments rather than to limit the present disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, the singular forms used in this specification include the plural forms. The use of "comprises" and / or "made of" in this specification indicates that the components, steps, operations, and / or elements mentioned do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components, steps, operations, and / or elements.

[0046] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this specification are used in accordance with the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure pertains. Furthermore, unless otherwise specifically defined, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly interpreted manner.

[0047] The present disclosure can accurately estimate the overlap range of a first substance and a second substance when they are overlapped on a substrate based on a luminance distribution estimation model (e.g., a Gaussian mixture model). For ease of illustration, the following example uses a pre-trained luminance distribution estimation model (e.g., a Gaussian mixture model) to estimate the overlap range of an electrode active material and an insulating material overlapped on an electrode plate of a secondary battery to further illustrate the present disclosure.

[0048] Figure 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a system for inspecting an electrode coating state of a secondary battery according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 2a is a diagram showing an insulating substance-coated electrode region of a secondary battery according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 2b It is along Figure 2a A cross-sectional view taken along line AA'.

[0049] Reference Figures 1 to 2b A system 1000 for inspecting a coating state of an electrode of a secondary battery according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include a transfer device 100 and a coating inspection device 200 .

[0050] The transfer device 100 can transfer the inspection object 30 to be inspected for coating status. For example, the transfer device 100 can transfer the inspection object 30 to the lower part of the coating inspection device 200 (for example, the lower part of the shooting module 210 of the coating inspection device 200). The transfer device 100 may include a linear motion system (LMS). According to one embodiment, the inspection object 30 may be a portion of a secondary battery, but is not limited thereto. For example, Figure 2a and Figure 2b As shown, the inspection object 30 may include an electrode plate 31 , an electrode active material 32 and an insulating material 33 .

[0051] The electrode plate 31 may be coated with an electrode active material 32 on one or both surfaces. The electrode plate 31 may include a first region (or coated portion) 31a coated with the electrode active material 32 and a second region (or uncoated portion) 31b uncoated with the electrode active material 32. Furthermore, the electrode plate 31 may be further coated with an insulating material 33. For example, the insulating material 33 may be coated on a portion of the electrode active material 32 and a portion of the second region 31b.

[0052] The electrode plate 31 may be a substrate for coating the electrode active material 32. The electrode plate 31 may be a positive electrode plate or a negative electrode plate. The electrode plate 31 may be made of aluminum or copper. For example, when the electrode plate 31 is a positive electrode plate, it may be made of aluminum, and when the electrode plate 31 is a negative electrode plate, it may be made of copper.

[0053] The electrode active material 32 is a substance that participates in the electrode reaction of the secondary battery and can be coated on the first region 31a on one or both surfaces of the electrode plate 31. If the electrode active material 32 is used for the positive electrode, it can include solid substances such as PbO2, MnO2, and Ni2O3 that can act as an oxidizing agent. On the other hand, if the electrode active material 32 is used for the negative electrode, it can include metal substances such as zinc and lead that can act as a reducing agent.

[0054] The insulating material 33 may be coated on the periphery of the boundary between the first region 31a and the second region 31b. Figure 2a and 2bAs shown, the insulating material 33 can be coated and overlapped with a portion of the electrode active material 32 and a portion of the second region 31b of the electrode plate 31. The insulating material 33 can include a third region (hereinafter referred to as the overlapping region) 33a that overlaps with the electrode active material 32 and a fourth region 33b that does not overlap with the electrode active material 32. The insulating material 33 can be formed of a transparent material or a translucent material. Alternatively, the insulating material 33 can be colored (for example, a color similar to that of the electrode active material 32). The insulating material can be liquid, but is not limited thereto, and can be cured to become solid after being coated on a portion of the electrode active material 32 and a portion of the second region 31b of the electrode plate 31.

[0055] The coating inspection device 200 can inspect the coating state of the insulating material 33. For example, the coating inspection device 200 can accurately identify the overlapping interval 33a of the electrode active material 32 and the insulating material 33. Specifically, the coating inspection device 200 can use the shooting module 210 to shoot the inspection object 30, generate a brightness histogram of the image of the inspection object 30 based on the pre-trained brightness distribution estimation model, and use the generated brightness histogram to identify the overlapping interval 33a. The brightness distribution estimation model may include a Gaussian mixture model, but is not limited to this. Figure 5 This will be described in detail. In addition, the coating inspection device 200 can measure the width of the overlapping section 33a and compare the measured width with the reference size to determine whether the coating is defective. Figure 6 This is described in detail. In addition, the coating inspection device 200 can maintain a certain shooting brightness during the coating inspection so as to obtain a high-quality image (for example, an image of a certain quality or above). To this end, although not shown in the figure, the system 1000 can include a light-emitting module (for example, a light-emitting diode (LED)) in the shooting module 210 of the coating inspection device 200, or can include external lighting separately. Figure 7 This is explained in detail.

[0056] Figure 3a is a flowchart for explaining a method for inspecting an electrode coating state of a secondary battery according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3b is a flowchart for explaining in more detail a method for generating a luminance histogram and a method for estimating overlapping intervals according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 4 is a diagram showing brightness measurement results of pixels included in an image according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating a luminance histogram according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] Reference Figures 3a to 5 According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for inspecting the coating state of an electrode of a secondary battery (hereinafter referred to as a coating inspection method) may include a step S310 of photographing at least a portion of an inspection object to be inspected for coating to obtain an inspection image. For example, Figure 1 The coating inspection device 200 can use the camera module 210 to capture at least a portion of the inspection object to obtain an inspection image. According to one embodiment, the inspection object may include a substrate, the substrate including a first region 31a coated with a first substance and a second region 31b not coated with the first substance, and a second substance coated on a portion of the first substance and a portion of the second region 31b. Here, the first substance, the second substance, and the substrate may be, but are not limited to, an electrode active material 32, an insulating material 33, and an electrode plate 31, respectively.

[0058] The coating inspection method may include a step S320 of generating a brightness histogram related to the brightness of the inspection image based on a brightness distribution estimation model (e.g., a Gaussian mixture model). Specifically, referring to FIG. 3 , the step S320 of generating the brightness histogram may include a step S321 of identifying the brightness of each pixel of the inspection image and a step S323 of clustering the brightness of each identified pixel into a specified number (e.g., two) of groups to generate a brightness histogram. For example, Figure 1 The coating inspection device 200 can measure the brightness of each pixel contained in the inspection image. Figure 4 As shown in the pixel brightness measurement results, it can be seen that the brightness of the inspection image increases with the increase in brightness from one end (for example, Figure 2a and 2b The left end portion) increases along the width in one direction (for example, from the left to the right direction). This is because the first substance (for example, the electrode active substance 32) has a dark color series (for example, black), and the substrate (for example, the electrode plate 31) has a light color series (for example, the positive plate is silver and the negative plate is copper). On the other hand, it can be seen that the brightness of the inspection image increases sharply in the overlapping interval 33a. This is because the second substance (for example, the insulating substance 33) has a color that is brighter than the first substance (for example, the electrode active substance 32) but darker than the substrate (for example, the electrode plate 31) (for example, a color similar to the first substance), or is transparent (or translucent). At this time, the first reference point 401 where the brightness of the pixel rises sharply can be the starting point of the overlapping interval 33a, and the second reference point 402 where the sharp rise in brightness stops can be the end point of the overlapping interval 33a.

[0059] In addition, if Figure 5As shown, the coating inspection apparatus 200 can use a brightness distribution estimation model (e.g., a Gaussian mixture model) to cluster the brightness of each pixel of the inspection image into a specified number (e.g., 2) of groups to generate a brightness histogram. The brightness histogram can include a first Gaussian distribution 510 for the first region 31a and a second Gaussian distribution 520 for the second region 31b.

[0060] The coating inspection method may include a step S330 of estimating the overlap interval of the overlapped coating based on the brightness histogram. For example, Figure 1 The coating inspection device 200 can estimate the overlap interval of the second substance and the first substance based on the brightness histogram. Figure 3b , the step S330 of estimating the overlapping interval may include: a step S331 of estimating the mean and standard deviation of the Gaussian distribution of each group; a step S333 of calculating a reference point from each group based on the estimated mean and standard deviation; and a step S335 of estimating the overlapping interval based on the reference point of each group. For example, the coating inspection device 200 can estimate the first mean and first standard deviation of the first Gaussian distribution 510, and calculate the first reference point 401 based on the first mean and the first standard deviation. Similarly, the coating inspection device 200 can estimate the second mean and the second standard deviation of the second Gaussian distribution 520, and calculate the second reference point 402 based on the second mean and the second standard deviation. The coating inspection device 200 can estimate the interval between the first reference point 401 and the second reference point 402 as the overlapping interval 33a. The first reference point 401 can be set to a value that is three times greater than the first mean of the first Gaussian distribution 510 by the first standard deviation. In addition, the second reference point 402 can be set to a value that is three times less than the second mean of the second Gaussian distribution 520 by the second standard deviation.

[0061] Figure 6 1 is a flowchart for explaining a method for inspecting coating defects according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0062] Reference Figure 6 According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for inspecting poor coating (hereinafter referred to as a poor coating inspection method) may include a step S610 of measuring the width of the overlapped interval. For example, if Figure 1 The coating inspection device 200 is Figure 3a and Figure 3b The above process completes the estimation of the overlapping interval, and then the size of the estimated overlapping interval can be measured.

[0063] The coating defect inspection method may include step S620 of confirming whether the width is smaller than or equal to a specified reference size. For example, the coating inspection device 200 may compare the measured width with the reference size to confirm whether the width is smaller than or equal to the reference size.

[0064] When the width size of the confirmation result of step S620 is not less than or equal to the reference size (for example, when the width size exceeds the reference size), the method can proceed to step S630 in which it is judged to be in a normal state. In other words, the coating inspection device 200 can determine that even if the diaphragm shrinks due to various reasons (for example, high temperature), the size of the overlapping interval is sufficient to prevent (or prevent) the positive and negative electrodes from contacting. On the other hand, when the width size of the confirmation result of step S620 is less than or equal to the reference size, the method can proceed to step S640 in which it is judged to be in a poor coating state. In other words, the coating inspection device 200 can determine that when the diaphragm shrinks due to various reasons (such as high temperature), there is a possibility of contact between the positive and negative electrodes.

[0065] The coating failure inspection method may include step S650 of providing an alarm indicating that the coating state is not good. For example, the coating inspection device 200 may provide an alarm in an auditory, visual, and / or tactile manner.

[0066] The coating defect inspection method may include step S660 of confirming whether the inspection has concluded. For example, the coating inspection device 200 may use the camera module 210 (or a separate sensing module (not shown)) to confirm whether the inspection object is on the transfer device 100. If the confirmation result of step S660 has not concluded, the method may return to step S310 and repeat the above process. On the other hand, if the confirmation result of step S660 has concluded (for example, if the inspection object is no longer on the transfer device 100), the method may conclude.

[0067] Figure 7 is a flowchart for explaining a method for controlling a photographing environment according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0068] Reference Figure 7 According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for controlling a shooting environment (hereinafter referred to as a shooting environment control method) may include step S710 of confirming (eg, measuring) shooting brightness. For example, Figure 1 The coating inspection device 200 may continuously or periodically confirm the photographing brightness. According to one embodiment, the coating inspection device 200 may determine the average brightness of the second area (or uncoated area) as the photographing brightness. As another example, the coating inspection device 200 may measure the photographing brightness using an illumination sensor (not shown).

[0069] The method for controlling the photographic environment may include step S720 of confirming whether the photographic brightness is less than or equal to a specified baseline brightness. For example, the coating inspection device 200 may compare the measured photographic brightness with the baseline brightness to confirm whether the photographic brightness is less than or equal to the baseline brightness. If the result of step S720 confirms that the photographic brightness is not less than or equal to the baseline brightness (e.g., if the photographic brightness exceeds the baseline brightness), the method may proceed to step S750, described later. In other words, the coating inspection device 200 may determine that the current photographic brightness is sufficient to obtain a high-quality inspection image and that no adjustment of the photographic brightness is required. On the other hand, if the result of step S720 confirms that the photographic brightness is less than or equal to the baseline brightness, the method may proceed to step S730 of requesting adjustment of the photographic brightness. In other words, the coating inspection device 200 may determine that the current photographic brightness is insufficient to obtain a high-quality inspection image and that adjustment of the photographic brightness is required. For example, the coating inspection device 200 may activate a light module (e.g., an LED) included in the photographing module 210. Alternatively, the coating inspection device 200 may send a message to an external lighting module (not shown) requesting brightness adjustment.

[0070] The photographing environment control method may include step S740 of providing an alarm for adjusting photographing brightness. For example, the coating inspection device 200 may provide an alarm in an auditory manner, a visual manner, and / or a tactile manner.

[0071] The imaging environment control method may include step S750 of confirming whether the inspection has concluded. For example, the coating inspection device 200 may use the imaging module 210 (or a separate sensing module (not shown)) to confirm whether the inspection object is on the transfer device 100. If the confirmation result check in step S750 has not concluded, the method may return to step S310 and repeat the above process. On the other hand, if the confirmation result check in step S750 has concluded (for example, if the inspection object is no longer on the transfer device 100), the method may terminate.

[0072] Figure 8 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an apparatus for inspecting an electrode coating state of a secondary battery according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0073] Reference Figure 8 According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an apparatus for inspecting the coating state of an electrode of a secondary battery (hereinafter referred to as a coating inspection apparatus) 800 may include a photographing module 810, an alarm module 820, a brightness measurement module 830, a display 840, a memory 850, a processor (or control unit) 860, and a communication module 870.

[0074] The photographing module 810 (e.g., a camera) can photograph an object. For example, the photographing module 810 can photograph at least a portion of a coated object to be inspected to obtain an inspection image. According to one embodiment, the photographing module 810 can include a light emitting module (e.g., an LED).

[0075] When specified conditions are met, the alarm module 820 can issue an alarm in a specified manner. For example, when a poor coating condition is detected, the alarm module 820 can provide (or issue) an alarm. In addition, the alarm module 820 can provide an alarm to adjust the shooting brightness. The alarm module 820 can issue at least one of a visual alarm (e.g., light emitting diode (LED) lighting, icon display, pop-up window display, etc.), an auditory alarm (e.g., sound effect output), and a tactile alarm (e.g., vibration generation). To this end, the alarm module 820 may include at least one of a light emitting diode, a display, a speaker, and a vibration motor.

[0076] The brightness measurement module 830 (e.g., an illuminance sensor) can measure the brightness of the environment in which the inspection object is photographed (e.g., external illuminance). For example, when inspecting for poor coating of the second material, the brightness measurement module 830 can measure the brightness of the inspection object and transmit the measurement result to the processor 860 and / or store it in the memory 850.

[0077] The display 840 may display various screens (eg, brightness measurement results, brightness histogram, coating defect inspection results, etc.) According to some embodiments, the display 840 may include a touch panel (not shown) for receiving various user inputs to operate the coating inspection device 800 .

[0078] The memory 850 may store a program for controlling the operation of the coating inspection device 800 and / or information required for controlling the operation of the coating inspection device 800. The memory 850 may include (e.g., store) a brightness distribution estimation model 851. The brightness distribution estimation model 851 may generate a brightness histogram of the inspection image. For example, the brightness distribution estimation model 851 may estimate the brightness distribution of the inspection image and generate a brightness histogram based on the estimated brightness distribution. The brightness distribution estimation model 851 may be a pre-trained artificial intelligence model. For example, the brightness distribution estimation model 851 may be a pre-trained Gaussian mixture model, but is not limited thereto. For a detailed description of the generation of the brightness histogram, refer to the above. Figures 3a to 5 Explanation has been given, so it is omitted here.

[0079] The processor 860 can control the overall operation of the coating inspection device 800. For example, the processor 860 can receive commands or instructions from the memory 850 and control various components to perform various functions based on the received commands or instructions. The processor 860 can be a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller unit (MCU), a microprocessor unit (MPU), etc.

[0080] According to one embodiment, the processor 860 can control the configuration of the coating inspection device 800 to estimate the overlap interval of the overlapping coating. For example, the processor 860 can obtain an inspection image by photographing the inspection object to be inspected through the photographing module 810, generate a brightness histogram of the inspection image based on the brightness distribution estimation model 851, and estimate the overlap interval based on the brightness histogram. For a detailed description of this, refer to the above Figure 3a and Figure 3b As another example, the processor 860 may compare the width of the overlapped interval with the reference size to determine whether the coating state is poor. Figure 6 As another example, the processor 860 may control the shooting brightness to obtain an inspection image above a certain quality level (eg, a high-quality inspection image). Figure 7 Description has been made and therefore omitted here.

[0081] The communication module 870 can communicate with external devices (e.g., external lighting, an administrator's mobile terminal (e.g., a smartphone), etc.) via wired or wireless communication. For example, when the processor 860 determines that coating failure has occurred, the communication module 870 can send an alert to the external device (e.g., the administrator's mobile terminal). Alternatively, when the processor 860 determines that the image brightness needs to be adjusted, the communication module 870 can send a message to the external lighting (not shown) requesting such adjustment.

[0082] On the other hand, the coating inspection device 800 may not include some of the above configurations, or may further include other configurations. For example, when no alarm is provided, the coating inspection device 800 may not include the alarm module 820; when the brightness is photographed at the average brightness of the second area, the coating inspection device 800 may not include the brightness measurement module 830; and / or when not connected to an external device, the coating inspection device 800 may not include the communication module 870. As another example, the coating inspection device 800 may further include an input module for receiving user input (e.g., an operation command). In addition, some of the configurations of the coating inspection device 800 can be configured as a separate external device. For example, the brightness distribution estimation model 851 of the coating inspection device 800 can be contained in an external server (e.g., an artificial intelligence server) (not shown).

[0083] The above description is merely an example of applying the principles of the present disclosure, and other configurations may be included without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. For example, at least some of the various embodiments of the present disclosure described above may be combined.

Claims

1. A method for operating a device for inspecting a coating state, comprising: a step of photographing at least a portion of a substrate using a photographing module to obtain an inspection image, wherein the substrate includes a first region coated with a first substance and a second region not coated with the first substance, and a second substance is coated on a portion of the first region and a portion of the second region; generating a brightness histogram related to the brightness of the inspection image based on a pre-trained brightness distribution estimation model; as well as The step of estimating an overlapping interval where the second substance and the first substance overlap based on the generated brightness histogram.

2. The method for operating the device for inspecting coating status according to claim 1, wherein: The step of generating the brightness histogram comprises: a step of identifying the brightness of each pixel of the inspection image; and A step of generating a brightness histogram including a first Gaussian distribution of the first area and a second Gaussian distribution of the second area based on the identified brightness of each pixel.

3. The method for operating the device for inspecting the coating state according to claim 2, wherein: The step of estimating the overlapping interval comprises: a step of estimating a first mean and a first standard deviation of the first Gaussian distribution, and calculating a first reference point based on the first mean and the first standard deviation; a step of estimating a second mean and a second standard deviation of the second Gaussian distribution, and calculating a second reference point based on the second mean and the second standard deviation; and The step of estimating an interval between the first reference point and the second reference point as the overlapping interval.

4. The method for operating the device for inspecting the coating state according to claim 3, wherein: The first reference point is set to a value three times greater than the first mean value of the first Gaussian distribution by the first standard deviation. The second reference point is set to a value that is three times smaller than the second mean value of the second Gaussian distribution by the second standard deviation.

5. The method for operating the device for inspecting the coating state according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: Steps to measure the brightness of a shot; a step of confirming whether the shooting brightness is lower than or equal to a specified reference brightness; as well as When the photographing brightness is lower than or equal to the reference brightness, a step of requesting adjustment of the photographing brightness.

6. The method for operating the device for inspecting coating status according to claim 5, further comprising: When the photographing brightness is lower than or equal to the reference brightness, a step of providing an alarm for adjusting the photographing brightness is provided.

7. The method for operating the device for inspecting coating status according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: The step of measuring the estimated width of the overlapping interval; a step of confirming whether the measured width of the overlapping interval is less than or equal to a specified reference size; as well as The step of determining that the coating state is poor when the measured width of the overlapping section is smaller than or equal to the reference size.

8. The method for operating the device for inspecting coating status according to claim 7, further comprising: The step of providing an alarm indicating that the coating state is poor when the measured width of the overlapped section is smaller than or equal to the reference size.

9. The method for operating the device for inspecting a coating state according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The second substance is transparent or translucent, or has a color.

10. The method for operating the device for inspecting a coating state according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The substrate includes an electrode plate of a secondary battery, The first substance comprises an electrode active substance, The second substance includes an insulating substance.

11. A device for checking coating status, comprising: Memory, storing the pre-trained brightness distribution estimation model; a photographing module configured to photograph at least a portion of a substrate to obtain an inspection image, wherein the substrate includes a first region coated with a first substance and a second region not coated with the first substance, and a second substance is coated on a portion of the first region and a portion of the second region; as well as The processor generates a brightness histogram related to the brightness of the inspection image based on the brightness distribution estimation model, and estimates an overlapping interval where the second substance and the first substance overlap based on the generated brightness histogram.

12. The device for inspecting coating status according to claim 11, wherein: The processor is configured to identify brightness of each pixel of the inspection image, and generate a brightness histogram including a first Gaussian distribution of the first area and a second Gaussian distribution of the second area based on the identified brightness of each pixel.

13. The device for inspecting coating status according to claim 12, wherein: The processor is configured to: estimating a first mean and a first standard deviation of the first Gaussian distribution, and calculating a first reference point based on the first mean and the first standard deviation, estimating a second mean and a second standard deviation of the second Gaussian distribution, and calculating a second reference point based on the second mean and the second standard deviation, An interval between the first reference point and the second reference point is estimated as the overlapping interval.

14. The device for inspecting coating status according to claim 13, wherein: The processor is configured to: The first reference point is set to a value three times greater than the first mean value of the first Gaussian distribution by the first standard deviation. The second reference point is set to a value that is three times smaller than the second mean value of the second Gaussian distribution by the second standard deviation.

15. A system for inspecting a coating state, comprising: A transfer device for transferring an inspection object in which a first substance and a second substance are coated overlappingly in a portion of the inspection object; as well as A coating inspection device utilizes a shooting module to shoot the inspection object to obtain an inspection image, generates a brightness histogram related to the brightness of the inspection image based on a pre-trained brightness distribution estimation model, estimates an overlapping interval where the second substance and the first substance overlap based on the generated brightness histogram, and inspects the coating status based on the estimated overlapping interval.

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