Image stitching system and stitching method
By combining a rotating platform and an image acquisition unit, the problems of splicing errors and large footprint in the measurement of large-scale, high-precision products are solved, achieving efficient and accurate image acquisition, which is suitable for the measurement or inspection of products such as mobile phone/tablet frames.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- YISHI ZHITONG TECH SHENZHEN CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2026-03-25
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-23
Smart Images
Figure CN122265028A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of image stitching, and in particular to an image stitching system and stitching method. Background Technology
[0002] For products with large flat surfaces and high precision requirements (such as the mid-frame of mobile phones / tablets, where dimensional and geometric tolerances often need to be at or close to μm level), the current method for measurement or inspection mainly involves taking high-resolution partial images of the product to be measured or inspected using multiple cameras, then stitching them together to form a complete large image before measurement or inspection.
[0003] The current mainstream method involves arranging multiple cameras in the same direction (e.g., the X-axis) to take partial photos of the products passing by sequentially, and then stitching them together. However, this method results in a long travel distance in the X-axis, which can easily lead to accumulated errors in the stitching alignment, resulting in unstable stitching results. Furthermore, the material movement in this direction is mostly non-rigid transmission (e.g., belts, timing belts), further exacerbating the uncertainty in positioning and stitching. After stitching, the return of the carrier or workpiece (e.g., straight-rail return, empty return) is also difficult to arrange compactly, affecting the production line footprint and image acquisition efficiency.
[0004] In addition, for certain precision products, where overlapping of fields of view is not possible in terms of perspective and space, a small field of view and high-precision imaging must be used, and installation interference between cameras must be avoided in order to achieve fine photography; that is, for products with high precision in a single field of view but a large total field of view, the above-mentioned unidirectional arrangement and splicing mode cannot be realized due to physical constraints. Summary of the Invention
[0005] The main objective of this invention is to provide an image stitching system and method that effectively ensures the accuracy of image acquisition, improves image acquisition efficiency, and greatly reduces the floor space required.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention proposes an image stitching system, comprising: a rotation platform, a driving unit, several image acquisition units, and an image stitching unit, wherein, The rotating platform is divided into several sections, and each section is provided with a carrier for carrying products; The driving unit is used to drive the rotating platform to rotate so that each of the products is placed below the plurality of image acquisition units in sequence; Several image acquisition units are arranged in a ring above the rotating platform, each used to acquire partial images of the product rotated below it; The image stitching unit is used to stitch together several partial images of the same product acquired by several image acquisition units to form an overall image of the product.
[0007] Optionally, the image stitching system further includes a storage unit for storing a calibration file corresponding to each of the image acquisition units and each of the partitions.
[0008] Optionally, the image stitching system further includes a correction unit, which is used to perform correction processing on the local image acquired by the image acquisition unit according to the calibration file.
[0009] Optionally, the image acquisition unit is a high-precision camera.
[0010] Furthermore, this invention also proposes an image acquisition method, comprising the following steps: Several of the products are loaded into the vehicle respectively; The driving unit drives the rotating platform to rotate so that each of the products is placed below the plurality of image acquisition units in sequence; When the product is placed below the image acquisition unit, the image acquisition unit acquires a partial image of the product; When the image acquisition units have acquired each partial image of each product, the image stitching unit stitches together the partial images of the same product acquired by the image acquisition units to form the overall image of the product.
[0011] Optionally, before the step of the image stitching unit stitching together several partial images of the same product acquired by several image acquisition units, the method further includes: Each local image acquired by the image acquisition unit is subjected to correction processing.
[0012] Optionally, the step of performing correction processing on each local image acquired by the image acquisition unit includes: Call the pre-created calibration file; The local image is rotated and / or translated according to the calibration file.
[0013] Optionally, the steps for creating the calibration file include: Secure the calibration object to the vehicle; The rotating platform is driven to rotate so that the calibration object is placed below the image acquisition units in sequence; The image acquisition unit acquires an image of the calibration object placed below it; The actual position information of the calibration object is calculated based on the acquired image of the calibration object; The actual position information of the calibrator is compared with the theoretical position information of the calibrator to obtain the position deviation information of the calibrator; The positional deviation information of the calibration object, the information of the image acquisition unit, and the partition information of the calibration object on the rotating platform are integrated to form a calibration file corresponding to each partition for each image acquisition unit.
[0014] Optionally, the calibration object is a calibration plate or a reference object of known size.
[0015] Optionally, before the step of the image stitching unit stitching together several partial images of the same product acquired by several image acquisition units, the method further includes: Each local image acquired by the image acquisition unit is deduplicated.
[0016] The technical solution of this invention uses a rotating platform to carry the product, which can effectively reduce the length of the production line and thus reduce the floor space occupied by the production line; by using image acquisition units arranged around the rotating platform to acquire local high-definition images of the product, it can effectively avoid installation interference between multiple image acquisition units and effectively improve the image acquisition accuracy; and by using the rotating platform and image acquisition units in combination, images of multiple products can be acquired simultaneously, thereby effectively improving the image acquisition efficiency. Attached Figure Description
[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.
[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the initial state of an embodiment of the image stitching system of the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of another state of the image stitching system shown; Figure 3 for Figure 1 The diagram shows another state of the image stitching system. Figure 4 for Figure 1 The diagram shows a state of the image stitching system. Figure 5 This is a flowchart of an embodiment of the image stitching method of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a flowchart of another embodiment of the image stitching method of the present invention; Figure 7 for Figure 6The flowchart shown illustrates the specific steps involved in performing correction processing on each local image acquired by the image acquisition unit. Figure 8 for Figure 6 The flowchart for creating the calibration file is shown below; Figure 9 This is a flowchart of another embodiment of the image stitching method of the present invention.
[0019] The realization of the objective, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation
[0020] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention.
[0021] In the following description, the use of suffixes such as "module," "part," or "unit" to denote elements is solely for the purpose of illustrative purposes and has no specific meaning in itself. Therefore, "module," "part," or "unit" may be used interchangeably.
[0022] This invention provides an image stitching system for acquiring high-definition overall images of a product to facilitate measurement or inspection. The system includes a rotating platform, a driving unit, several image acquisition units, and an image stitching unit. The rotating platform is divided into several sections, each section having a carrier for holding the product. The driving unit drives the rotating platform to rotate, so that each product is sequentially placed below the several image acquisition units. The several image acquisition units are arranged around the rotating platform and are used to acquire partial images of the product rotated below them. The image stitching unit stitches together several partial images of the same product acquired by the several image acquisition units to form an overall image of the product.
[0023] Preferably, the rotating platform is a high-precision circular turntable; the image acquisition unit is a small-field-of-view high-precision camera.
[0024] The technical solution of this invention uses a rotating platform to carry the product, which can effectively reduce the length of the production line and thus reduce the floor space occupied by the production line; by using image acquisition units arranged around the rotating platform to acquire local high-definition images of the product, it can effectively avoid installation interference between multiple image acquisition units and effectively improve the image acquisition accuracy; and by using the rotating platform and image acquisition units in combination, images of multiple products can be acquired simultaneously, thereby effectively improving the image acquisition efficiency.
[0025] To more clearly illustrate the present invention, as follows: Figure 1As shown, in this embodiment, the rotating platform 100 is divided into four partitions, defined as the first partition 110, the second partition 120, the third partition 130, and the fourth partition 140. Four image acquisition units are set, defined as the first image acquisition unit 210, the second image acquisition unit 220, the third image acquisition unit 230, and the fourth image acquisition unit 240. There are also four products, defined as the first product 310, the second product 320, the third product 330, and the fourth product 340. Each product is also divided into four parts, defined as the first part A, the second part B, the third part C, and the fourth part D.
[0026] In the initial state (e.g.) Figure 1 As shown, the first product 310 is loaded on the carrier 400 of the first partition 110; the second product 320 is loaded on the carrier 400 of the second partition 120. The third product 330 is loaded on the carrier 400 of the third partition 130. The fourth product 340 is loaded on the carrier 400 of the fourth partition 140. The first image acquisition unit 210 is positioned above the first partition 110 and is used to acquire an image of a first portion A of the first product 310. The second image acquisition unit 220 is positioned above the second partition 120 and is used to acquire an image of a second portion B of the second product 320. The third image acquisition unit 230 is positioned above the third partition 130 and is used to acquire an image of a third portion C of the third product 330. The fourth image acquisition unit 240 is positioned above the fourth partition 140 and is used to acquire an image of a fourth portion D of the fourth product 340.
[0027] The drive unit drives (unlabeled) rotating platform to rotate 90 degrees, entering the second state (e.g.) Figure 2 As shown in the diagram, the first image acquisition unit 210 is positioned above the fourth partition 140 to acquire an image of the first portion A of the fourth product 340. The second image acquisition unit 220 is positioned above the first partition 110 to acquire an image of the second portion B of the first product 310. The third image acquisition unit 230 is positioned above the second partition 120 to acquire an image of the third portion C of the second product 320. The fourth image acquisition unit 240 is positioned above the third partition 130 to acquire an image of the fourth portion D of the third product 330.
[0028] The drive unit drives the rotating platform to continue rotating 90 degrees, entering the third state (e.g., ...). Figure 3As shown in the diagram, the first image acquisition unit 210 is positioned above the third partition 130 to acquire an image of the first portion A of the third product 330. The second image acquisition unit 220 is positioned above the fourth partition 140 to acquire an image of the second portion B of the fourth product 340. The third image acquisition unit 230 is positioned above the first partition 110 to acquire an image of the third portion C of the first product 310. The fourth image acquisition unit 240 is positioned above the second partition 120 to acquire an image of the fourth portion D of the second product 320.
[0029] The drive unit drives the rotating platform to continue rotating 90 degrees, entering the fourth state (e.g., ...). Figure 4 As shown in the diagram, the first image acquisition unit 210 is positioned above the second partition 120 to acquire an image of the first portion A of the second product 320. The second image acquisition unit 220 is positioned above the third partition 130 to acquire an image of the second portion B of the third product 330. The third image acquisition unit 230 is positioned above the fourth partition 140 to acquire an image of the third portion C of the fourth product 340. The fourth image acquisition unit 240 is positioned above the first partition 110 to acquire an image of the fourth portion D of the first product 310.
[0030] At this time, the first image acquisition unit 210 acquires images of the first portion A of the first product 310, the second product 320, the third product 330, and the fourth product 340. The second image acquisition unit 220 acquires images of the second portion B of the first product 310, the second product 320, the third product 330, and the fourth product 340. The third image acquisition unit 230 acquires images of the third portion C of the first product 310, the second product 320, the third product 330, and the fourth product 340. The fourth image acquisition unit 240 acquires images of the fourth portion D of the first product 310, the second product 320, the third product 330, and the fourth product 340. The image stitching unit stitches together the images of the first part A, the second part B, the third part C, and the fourth part D of the first product 310 to form an overall image of the first product 310; it stitches together the images of the first part A, the second part B, the third part C, and the fourth part D of the second product 320 to form an overall image of the second product 320; it stitches together the images of the first part A, the second part B, the third part C, and the fourth part D of the third product 330 to form an overall image of the third product 330; and it stitches together the images of the first part A, the second part B, the third part C, and the fourth part D of the fourth product 340 to form an overall image of the fourth product 340. After forming the overall image, the next step (measurement or inspection) can be performed.
[0031] The drive unit drives the rotating platform to continue rotating 90 degrees, returning it to its initial state, so that the next round of product image acquisition can be performed.
[0032] In this embodiment, images of four products can be acquired and stitched simultaneously, effectively improving image acquisition and stitching efficiency. Furthermore, using a circular turntable to carry the products effectively reduces the production line length, thereby lowering the production line's footprint, and also allows for product return.
[0033] Furthermore, to further improve the accuracy of the stitched image, the image stitching system also includes a correction unit and a storage unit. Among them, The storage unit is used to store a calibration file corresponding to each partition for each image acquisition unit. The correction unit is used to correct the local images acquired by the image acquisition unit according to the calibration file.
[0034] Specifically, the calibration file can be formed as follows: Calibration objects (calibration plates, reference objects of known dimensions, etc.) are loaded onto each carrier, and a drive unit drives a rotating platform to rotate, so that the calibration objects are sequentially positioned below each image acquisition unit. Each image acquisition unit acquires an image of each calibration object. Then, the actual position information of the calibration object is calculated based on the acquired images. The actual position information of the calibration object is then compared with its theoretical position information to obtain the position deviation information. The position deviation information, the information of the image acquisition units, and the partition information of the calibration object on the rotating platform are integrated to form a calibration file corresponding to each partition for each image acquisition unit.
[0035] refer to Figure 1-4 The following is a detailed description in conjunction with the above embodiments. Similarly, the calibrators are defined as the first calibrator (not shown), the second calibrator (not shown), the third calibrator (not shown), and the fourth calibrator (not shown).
[0036] The first calibration object is loaded onto the vehicle 400 in the first section 110, the second calibration object is loaded onto the vehicle 400 in the second section 120, the third calibration object is loaded onto the vehicle 400 in the third section 130, and the fourth calibration object is loaded onto the vehicle in the fourth section 140.
[0037] The first image acquisition unit 210 acquires an image of the first calibration object located in the first partition 110, and calculates the actual position information of the first calibration object based on the acquired image. Then, it compares the actual position information of the first calibration object with the theoretical position information of the first calibration object to obtain the position deviation information of the first calibration object. By integrating the position deviation information, the information of the first image acquisition unit 210 (such as encoding), and the information of the first partition 110, a calibration file corresponding to the first partition 110 of the first image acquisition unit 210 can be formed.
[0038] Similarly, the calibration file of the second image acquisition unit 220 corresponding to the second partition 120 can also be obtained, the calibration file of the second image acquisition unit 220 corresponding to the second partition 120, the calibration file of the third image acquisition unit 230 corresponding to the third partition 130, and the calibration file of the fourth image acquisition unit 240 corresponding to the fourth partition 140.
[0039] Then, by rotating the rotating platform, calibration files can be obtained for the first image acquisition unit 210 corresponding to the second partition 120, the third partition 130, and the fourth partition 140; for the second image acquisition unit 220 corresponding to the third partition 130, the fourth partition 140, and the first partition 110; for the third image acquisition unit 230 corresponding to the fourth partition 140, the first partition 110, and the second partition 120; and for the fourth image acquisition unit 240 corresponding to the first partition 110, the second partition 120, and the third partition 130. That is, in this embodiment, a total of sixteen calibration files are obtained.
[0040] In this embodiment, each image acquisition unit forms a calibration file corresponding to each partition, which can effectively improve the accuracy of image correction and thus effectively improve the accuracy of image stitching.
[0041] The above embodiments are described using four partitions, four image acquisition units, four products, and four parts to more clearly illustrate the present invention, rather than to limit the invention. Similarly, other numbers of partitions, image acquisition units, products, and parts are also applicable to the present invention, and the number of partitions, image acquisition units, products, and parts can be the same or different, and can still be implemented using the technical solutions of the present invention.
[0042] Furthermore, this invention also proposes an image acquisition method, such as... Figure 5 As shown, it includes the following steps: Step S110: Load several of the products into the carrier respectively.
[0043] Step S120: The driving unit drives the rotating platform to rotate so that the product is placed below the image acquisition unit.
[0044] Step S130: The image acquisition unit acquires partial images of the product placed below it.
[0045] Step S140: Determine whether the image of each part of each product has been acquired. If yes, proceed to step S150; otherwise, return to step S120.
[0046] Step S150: The image stitching unit stitches together several partial images of the same product acquired by several image acquisition units to form an overall image of the product.
[0047] This method has the same implementation method and technical effects as the above system, and will not be described again here.
[0048] like Figure 6 As shown, the present invention also proposes an image acquisition method, comprising the following steps: Step S210: Load several of the products into the carrier respectively.
[0049] Step S220: The driving unit drives the rotating platform to rotate so that the product is placed below the image acquisition unit.
[0050] Step S230: The image acquisition unit acquires partial images of the product placed below it.
[0051] Step S240: Determine whether the image of each part of each product has been acquired. If yes, proceed to step S250; otherwise, return to step S220.
[0052] Step S250: Perform skew correction processing on each local image acquired by the image acquisition unit.
[0053] Specifically, such as Figure 7 As shown, the specific steps for performing correction processing on each local image acquired by the image acquisition unit include: Step S251: Call the pre-established calibration file.
[0054] Step S252: Rotate and / or translate the local image according to the calibration file.
[0055] Step S260: The image stitching unit stitches together several partial images of the same product acquired by several image acquisition units to form an overall image of the product.
[0056] This method has the same implementation method and technical effects as the above system, and will not be described again here.
[0057] Furthermore, such as Figure 8 As shown, the steps for creating the calibration file include: Step S310: Secure the calibration object to the vehicle.
[0058] Step S320: Drive the rotating platform to rotate so that the calibration object is placed below the image acquisition units.
[0059] Step S330: The image acquisition unit acquires an image of the calibration object placed below it.
[0060] Step S340: Determine whether the image of each of the calibrators has been acquired by each of the image acquisition units. If yes, proceed to step S350; otherwise, return to step S320.
[0061] Step S350: Calculate the actual position information of the calibration object based on the acquired image of the calibration object.
[0062] Step S360: Compare the actual position information of the calibrator with the theoretical position information of the calibrator to obtain the position deviation information of the calibrator.
[0063] Step S370: Integrate the position deviation information of the calibration object, the information of the image acquisition unit, and the partition information of the calibration object on the rotating platform to form a calibration file for each partition corresponding to each image acquisition unit.
[0064] Optionally, the calibration object is a calibration plate or a reference object of known size.
[0065] like Figure 9 As shown, the present invention also proposes an image acquisition method, comprising the following steps: Step S410: Load several of the products into the carrier respectively.
[0066] Step S420: The driving unit drives the rotating platform to rotate so that the product is placed below the image acquisition unit.
[0067] Step S430: The image acquisition unit acquires partial images of the product placed below it.
[0068] Step S440: Determine whether the image of each part of each product has been acquired. If yes, proceed to step S450; otherwise, return to step S420.
[0069] Step S450: Perform skew correction processing on each local image acquired by the image acquisition unit.
[0070] Step S460: Perform deduplication processing on each local image acquired by the image acquisition unit.
[0071] Step S470: The image stitching unit stitches together several partial images of the same product acquired by several image acquisition units to form an overall image of the product.
[0072] This method has the same implementation method and technical effects as the above system, and will not be described again here.
[0073] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Unless otherwise specified, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.
[0074] The sequence numbers of the above embodiments of the present invention are for descriptive purposes only and do not represent the superiority or inferiority of the embodiments.
[0075] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims. All of these forms are within the protection scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. An image stitching system, characterized in that, include: The system includes a rotating platform, a drive unit, several image acquisition units, and an image stitching unit. The rotating platform is divided into several sections, and each section is provided with a carrier for carrying products; The driving unit is used to drive the rotating platform to rotate so that each of the products is placed below the plurality of image acquisition units in sequence; Several image acquisition units are arranged in a ring above the rotating platform, each used to acquire partial images of the product rotated below it; The image stitching unit is used to stitch together several partial images of the same product acquired by several image acquisition units to form an overall image of the product.
2. The image stitching system as described in claim 1, characterized in that it further includes a storage unit, the storage unit being used to store a calibration file corresponding to each of the image acquisition units and each of the partitions.
3. The image stitching system as described in claim 2, characterized in that it further includes a correction unit, the correction unit being used to perform correction processing on the local image acquired by the image acquisition unit according to the calibration file.
4. The image stitching system according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that the image acquisition unit is a high-precision camera.
5. An image acquisition method based on the image stitching system according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Several of the products are loaded into the vehicle respectively; The driving unit drives the rotating platform to rotate so that each of the products is placed below the plurality of image acquisition units in sequence; When the product is placed below the image acquisition unit, the image acquisition unit acquires a partial image of the product; When the image acquisition units have acquired each partial image of each product, the image stitching unit stitches together the partial images of the same product acquired by the image acquisition units to form the overall image of the product.
6. The image acquisition method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, Before the step of the image stitching unit stitching together several partial images of the same product acquired by several image acquisition units, the method further includes: Each local image acquired by the image acquisition unit is subjected to correction processing.
7. The image acquisition method as described in claim 6, characterized in that, The step of performing bias correction processing on each local image acquired by the image acquisition unit includes: Call the pre-created calibration file; The local image is rotated and / or translated according to the calibration file.
8. The image acquisition method as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The steps for creating the calibration file include: Secure the calibration object to the vehicle; The rotating platform is driven to rotate so that the calibration object is placed below the image acquisition units in sequence; The image acquisition unit acquires an image of the calibration object placed below it; The actual position information of the calibration object is calculated based on the acquired image of the calibration object; The actual position information of the calibrator is compared with the theoretical position information of the calibrator to obtain the position deviation information of the calibrator; The positional deviation information of the calibration object, the information of the image acquisition unit, and the partition information of the calibration object on the rotating platform are integrated to form a calibration file corresponding to each partition for each image acquisition unit.
9. The image acquisition method as described in claim 8, characterized in that, The calibration object is a calibration plate or a reference object of known size.
10. The image acquisition method as described in claim 5, characterized in that, Before the step of the image stitching unit stitching together several partial images of the same product acquired by several image acquisition units, the method further includes: Each local image acquired by the image acquisition unit is deduplicated.