Image obtaining device and method

Abstract

To obtain an image for extracting a clear feature point from an image of a photogenic subject.SOLUTION: An image obtaining device comprises: a conveyor that conveys an object; a camera that takes an image of a portion of the object; lighting integrated with the camera, which lights up the portion of the object; a sensor integrated with the camera and the lighting, which measures a distance between the portion of the object and the sensor; a support pillar / post, installed to be perpendicular to a surface of the conveyor on which the object is conveyed, which adjusts a position of the camera so that the position becomes perpendicular to the surface of the conveyor on which the object is conveyed; and a control device that makes the conveyor stop conveying the object, makes the sensor measure the distance between the portion of the object and the sensor when the conveying by the conveyor is stopped, determines whether or not the measured distance is a distance long enough to extract a feature point, makes the support pillar adjust the position of the camera when it is determined that the distance is not long enough to extract the feature point, and makes the camera take an image of the portion of the object.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to image acquisition devices and methods, and more particularly to image acquisition devices and methods for discrimination in artifact metrics. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known artifact-metrics, which is a technique for identifying artifacts using characteristics unique to the artifacts. For example, when the artifact is a printed item, the characteristics unique to the artifact are fine patterns or shading that occurs during printing. For example, feature points that represent the characteristics of the print can be extracted from a digital image captured by an optical instrument that generates an image signal using a solid-state image sensor, such as a digital camera, and the extracted feature points can be used to identify printed items that appear the same.

[0003] Furthermore, the feature points extracted from the printed matter can also be used to determine the authenticity of the printed matter. As time passes since the feature points were extracted, the photographing for determining the authenticity may require high accuracy due to changes in the printed matter over time. For the printed matter to be the subject of the authenticity determination, the positional relationship between the printed matter and the optical device, such as a digital camera, used for the authenticity determination may be adjusted individually.

[0004] A known device for adjusting the positional relationship between a laser device and an object is one in which a laser device and a CCD line sensor camera are arranged side by side above and below each other on the side of a conveyor, and the height is adjusted so that the laser light emitted from the laser device passes through the center of the coil being transported by the conveyor based on the outer diameter of the coil calculated by a process computer (see, for example, Patent Document 1, pages 2-3, Figure 1)). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-312528 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, there is a problem in that the positional relationship between the object being continuously transported by a conveyor and the optical instrument cannot be continuously and accurately adjusted, and clear feature points cannot be extracted from the image of the object.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and its object is to provide an image acquisition device and method for identifying objects in artifact metrics by automatically adjusting the positional relationship between an optical instrument and the object for each object. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve this object, one aspect of the present invention includes a conveyor that transports an object, a camera that captures an image of a portion of the object, a light integrated with the camera and illuminating the portion of the object, a first sensor integrated with the camera and the light and measuring a distance to the portion of the object, a first support that is installed perpendicular to a surface of the conveyor that transports objects and that adjusts a position of the camera perpendicular to the surface of the conveyor that transports objects, and a control device that stops the conveyor from transporting the object, causes the first sensor to measure a distance to the portion of the object when the conveyor is stopped, determines whether the distance is a distance at which a feature point can be extracted when the distance is measured, causes the first support to adjust the position of the camera when it is determined that the distance is not a distance at which a feature point can be extracted, and causes the camera to capture an image of the portion of the object, wherein the image of the portion of the object includes feature points, and the feature points identify the portion of the object.

[0009] Another aspect of the invention includes the steps of: causing a conveyor to stop transporting an object; and when the conveyor is stopped, causing a first sensor to measure a distance to a portion of the object; and when the distance is measured, determining whether the distance is a distance at which a feature point can be extracted; and when it is determined that the distance is not a distance at which a feature point can be extracted, causing a camera position to be adjusted to the support; and causing the camera to capture an image of the portion of the object, wherein the image of the portion of the object includes feature points that identify the portion of the object.

[0010] These configurations make it possible to automatically adjust the positional relationship between the optical instrument and the object for each object, and obtain images for identifying the object in artifact metrics. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to extract clear feature points from an image of a subject by including the steps of stopping the conveyor from transporting an object, having a first sensor measure a distance to a portion of the object when the conveyor is stopped, determining if the distance is measured such that the distance allows for extraction of a feature point, adjusting the position of the camera to the support when it is determined that the distance is not such that the feature point can be extracted, and having the camera capture an image of the portion of the object, wherein the image of the portion of the object includes feature points that identify the portion of the object. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an image acquisition device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a part of a configuration of an image acquisition device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a control device in an image acquisition device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a functional block diagram of an image acquisition device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 1 is a flow chart illustrating an image acquisition method according to one aspect of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, in which like reference numerals represent like elements.

[0014] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an image acquisition device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The image acquisition device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a conveyor 102 that conveys an object 101 including a printed object on its surface, a trigger sensor 103 that detects the arrival of the object 101 placed on the conveyor 102, a camera 104 that acquires an image including the printed object included in the object 101, a light 105 that is integrated with the camera 104 and illuminates the printed object included in the object 101 for shooting, a support 106 that supports the integrated camera 104 and the light 105, a support 107 that supports the support 106, a support 108 that supports the support 107, an encoder 109 that measures the amount of rotation of a pulley that drives the conveyor 102, and a control device 110 that is connected to the trigger sensor 103 and the encoder 109 via a communication line and executes a program related to an image acquisition method that will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5.

[0015] The transport conveyor 102 may be any mechanical device that can automatically and continuously transport a plurality of objects 101. For example, the transport conveyor 102 includes a belt conveyor. The transport conveyor 102 can start and stop driving to transport the objects 101 according to an instruction from the control device 110.

[0016] The trigger sensor 103 may be any photoelectric sensor that detects the arrival of the object 101. By way of example, the trigger sensor 103 includes a laser sensor, etc. The trigger sensor 103 is installed upstream from the camera 104 and the light 105 with respect to the direction in which the object 101 is conveyed by the transport conveyor 102. The trigger sensor 103 may be attached to a housing that contains the image capture device, although this is not shown for the sake of simplicity.

[0017] The camera 104 generates an image signal using a solid-state image sensor to generate a digital image. The camera 104 may be any optical instrument capable of extracting printing feature points contained in the printed matter on the surface of the object 101. For example, the camera 104 may include a digital camera, a video camera, and the like.

[0018] The lighting 105 may be any lighting device capable of applying artificial light to the printed surface of the object 101. The camera 104 can generate clear digital images for extracting the feature points of the print by using the artificial light emitted by the lighting 105. In this specification, the lighting 105 is integrated with the camera 104 by, for example, a metal plate.

[0019] The support 106 can move the camera 104 and the lighting 105 up and down as viewed in FIG. 1. The camera 104 can generate a clear digital image for extracting print feature points by moving the camera 104 and the lighting 105 up and down as viewed in FIG. The support 106 may be anything that can support the camera 104 and the lighting 105. In one embodiment of the present invention, the support 106 is installed perpendicular to the plane on which the object 101 is transported by the transport conveyor 102. In one embodiment of the present invention, the support 106 can move the camera 104 and the lighting 105 up and down as viewed in FIG. 1 based on instructions from the control device 110.

[0020] The support 107 can move the support 106 left and right as viewed in FIG. 1. The camera 104 can generate a clear digital image for extracting the feature points of the print by moving the support 106 left and right as viewed in FIG. 1. The support 107 may be anything that can support the support 106 including the camera 104 and the lighting 105. In one embodiment of the present invention, the support 107 is installed parallel to the direction in which the object 101 is transported by the transport conveyor 102. In one embodiment of the present invention, the support 107 can manually move the support 106 left and right as viewed in FIG. 1, and the position of the object 101 can be confirmed on the display device of the control device 110. In another embodiment of the present invention, the support 107 can move the support 106 left and right as viewed in FIG. 1 based on an instruction from the control device 110.

[0021] The support 108 can move the support 107 back and forth in FIG. 1. The camera 104 can generate a clear digital image for extracting print features by moving the support 108 back and forth. The support 108 can be anything capable of supporting the support 107, including the support 106 containing the camera 104 and the light 105. The support 108 is not shown for the sake of simplicity, but may be attached to a housing containing the image capture device or directly installed at the location where the image capture device is installed. In one embodiment of the invention, the support 108 is installed parallel to the plane in which the object 101 is transported by the transport conveyor 102 and perpendicular to the support 107. In one embodiment of the invention, the support 108 can manually move the support 107 back and forth in FIG. 1 to confirm the position of the object 101 on the display device of the control device 110. In another embodiment of the present invention, the support 108 can move the support 107 back and forth based on the direction of the controller 110 in the direction of FIG.

[0022] The encoder 109 can transmit pulses corresponding to the amount of rotation of a pulley that drives the transport conveyor 102 to the control device 110. The encoder 109 may be any rotation detector that can measure the amount of rotation of the pulley without being affected by the transport speed of the transport conveyor 102. For example, the encoder 109 includes a rotary encoder.

[0023] The control device 110 receives a signal indicating that the target object 101 has arrived from the trigger sensor 103 via a communication line, stops the transport conveyor 102 in response to a pulse sent from the encoder 109, moves the camera 104 and the light 105 up and down, and captures an image of the printed item from the camera 104. Details of the above-mentioned process will be described with reference to FIG. 5. The control device 110 may be any information processing terminal capable of executing the image capturing method according to one embodiment of the present invention. For example, the control device 110 includes a desktop personal computer, a notebook computer, a tablet terminal, and the like.

[0024] The communication line may be a wired communication line, a wireless communication line, or a combination of these.

[0025] 1, for the purpose of simplicity, communication connections for controlling the driving of the transport conveyor 102 by the control device 110, communication connections for moving the camera 104 and the light 105 up and down by the control device 110, communication connections for the control device 110 to receive images captured by the camera 104, etc. are not shown. A person skilled in the art can easily provide connections between the components of the image capture device according to one embodiment of the present invention as necessary.

[0026] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a part of the configuration of an image acquisition device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a camera 104 that captures the printed matter included in the object 101, a light 105 that is integrated with the camera 104 and illuminates the printed matter included in the object 101 for capturing the image, a support 106 that supports the integrated camera 104 and light 105, a support 107 that supports the support 106, and a laser sensor 201 that is integrated with the camera 104 and light 105 and measures the distance between the surface of the object 101 including the printed matter. Length a represents the distance between the camera 104 and the printed matter included in the object 101. Length b represents the distance between the light 105 and the printed matter included in the object 101. Length c represents the distance between the laser sensor 201 and the printed matter included in the object 101. Length d represents the distance between the center of the camera 104 facing the conveyor 102 and the center of the laser sensor 201 facing the conveyor 102.

[0027] The laser sensor 201 may be any sensor capable of measuring the distance to the printed matter included in the object 101. For example, the laser sensor 201 includes a displacement sensor, a length measurement sensor, and the like. The laser sensor 201 is installed upstream from the camera 104 and the lighting 105 and downstream from the trigger sensor 103 with respect to the direction in which the object 101 is conveyed by the conveyor 102. The data of the distance measured by the laser sensor 201 is transmitted to the control device 110 via a communication line (not shown), and the control device 110 moves the camera 104 and the lighting 105 up and down based on the received distance data. The camera 104 can generate a clear digital image for extracting the feature points of the printing by adjusting the distance to the printed matter included in the object 101 according to the instruction of the control device 110. In one embodiment, the laser sensor 201 is installed so that a straight line passing through the center of the camera 104 facing the conveyor 102 and the center of the laser sensor 201 facing the conveyor 102 is parallel to the support 107.

[0028] The description of camera 104, light 105, post 106, and post 107 is similar to FIG. 1 and is omitted for purposes of brevity.

[0029] In one embodiment, the distance a is 160 mm, the distance b is 30 mm, the distance c is 100 mm, and the distance d is 100 mm, but the distances a to d are not limited thereto.

[0030] In one embodiment of the image capture device of the present invention, the camera 104, lighting 105, and laser sensor 201 are integrated to generate clearer and more accurate digital images for extracting print features.

[0031] 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the control device 110 in the image acquisition device according to one embodiment of the present invention. The control device 110 includes a central processing unit 301 that executes a program relating to the image acquisition method according to one embodiment of the present invention, a conveyor control interface 302 that is an interface for controlling the driving of the transport conveyor 102, a sensor interface 303 that is an interface for transmitting and receiving data to and from the trigger sensor 103, the encoder 109, and the laser sensor 201, a position adjustment interface 304 that is an interface for moving the camera 104 and the lighting 105 up and down, a camera interface 305 that is an interface for transmitting and receiving data to and from the camera 104, a main memory device 306 that the central processing unit 301 directly reads and writes in order to execute the program relating to the image acquisition method according to one embodiment of the present invention, a secondary memory device 307 that permanently stores the program and data relating to the image acquisition method according to one embodiment of the present invention, and a peripheral device interface 308 for connecting to an input / output device or an external memory device, which are all connected to each other via a bus 309.

[0032] The data stored by the secondary storage device 307 includes data on lengths a to d that are specific to the image acquisition device according to one embodiment of the present invention. The data stored by the secondary storage device 307 includes data on distance thresholds that allow for extraction of printing feature points included in the printed matter on the surface of the object 101 for each type of object 101 and for each image acquisition device. The distance thresholds mentioned above may be thresholds on length a, length b, or length c. Since the camera 104, the lighting 105, and the laser sensor 201 are integrated, if there is one of the values ​​on lengths a to c, the values ​​on the other two lengths can be obtained by using the difference between two of the lengths a to c as needed.

[0033] 4 is a functional block diagram of an image acquisition device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The central processing unit 301 of the control device 110 includes, as functional blocks, a conveyor control unit 401 that controls the driving of the transport conveyor 102 via a conveyor control interface 302, a sensor data receiving unit 402 that receives sensor data from the trigger sensor 103, the encoder 109, and the laser sensor 201 via a sensor interface 303, a camera position adjustment unit 403 that transmits instructions to the support 106 to raise and lower the camera 104 and the light 105 via a position adjustment interface 304, and an image data receiving unit 404 that receives image data of the printed item from the camera 104 via the camera interface 305.

[0034] Details of the functions of the conveyor control unit 401, the sensor data receiving unit 402, the camera position adjustment unit 403, and the image data receiving unit 404 are included in the description with reference to FIG. 5 and will be omitted for the purpose of brevity.

[0035] With this configuration, the positional relationship between the optical device and the object is automatically adjusted for each object.

[0036] 5 is a flowchart showing an image acquisition method according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this specification, as examples, the object 101 includes paper, packages, labels, PTP (press through package) sheets, tablets, or plastic products including printed matter, metal products with printing corresponding to printed matter, or seals. In this specification, the change over time of printed matter includes, for example, changes such as deformation or deterioration of the printed matter itself, or changes such as rubbing or bleeding of ink used for printing.

[0037] An image acquisition method according to one aspect of the present invention starts when the conveyor 102 is powered on and starts to drive the conveyor 102. The object 101 is placed on the conveyor 102 so that the printed matter contained in the object 101 can be photographed by the camera 104. When the conveyor 102 starts to drive, the object 101 placed on the conveyor 102 is transported.

[0038] In step S501, when the object 101 being transported by the conveyor 102 is detected by the trigger sensor 103, detection data indicating that the object 101 has been detected is transmitted from the trigger sensor 103, and the transmitted detection data is received by the central processing unit 301 (sensor data receiving unit 402) via the sensor interface 303.

[0039] In step S502, stop instruction data instructing the transport conveyor 102 to stop driving is transmitted by the central processing unit 301 (conveyor control unit 401) to the transport conveyor 102 via the conveyor control interface 302. Upon receiving the transmitted stop instruction data, the transport conveyor 102 stops driving to transport the target object 101.

[0040] In step S503, measurement instruction data instructing measurement of the distance between the surface of the object 101 including the printed item and the laser sensor 201 is transmitted by the central processing unit 301 (camera position adjustment unit 403) to the laser sensor 201 via the sensor interface 303. When the laser sensor 201 receives the transmitted measurement instruction data and measures the distance between the surface of the object 101 including the printed item, distance data representing the measured distance is transmitted from the laser sensor 201, and the transmitted distance data is received by the central processing unit 301 (sensor data receiving unit 402) via the sensor interface 303.

[0041] When the distance data is received by the central processing unit 301 (sensor data receiving unit 402), start instruction data instructing the start of driving of the conveyor 102 is transmitted by the central processing unit 301 (conveyor control unit 401) to the conveyor 102 via the conveyor control interface 302. When the conveyor 102 starts driving after receiving the transmitted start instruction data, the central processing unit 301 (sensor data receiving unit 402) continuously receives rotation amount data indicating the rotation amount of the pulley of the conveyor 102 from the encoder 109 via the sensor interface 303. When the rotation amount data is received, the central processing unit 301 (conveyor control unit 401) determines whether the distance of transportation of the object 101 by the conveyor 102 is length d using the continuously received rotation amount data. When it is determined that the distance of transportation of the object 101 is length d, stop instruction data instructing the transport conveyor 102 to stop driving is transmitted by the central processing unit 301 (conveyor control unit 401) to the transport conveyor 102 via the conveyor control interface 302. The transport conveyor 102, which receives the transmitted stop instruction data, stops driving for transporting the object 101.

[0042] In step S504, the central processing unit 301 (camera position adjustment unit 403) determines whether or not the position of the camera 104 needs to be adjusted based on the distance data received by the central processing unit 301 (sensor data receiving unit 402) in step S503. The position of the camera 104 is the position of the camera 104 based on the surface of the object 101 including the printed matter. The central processing unit 301 (camera position adjustment unit 403) determines whether or not the distance indicated by the distance data received in step S503 is within a range of a distance threshold value at which a feature point of the printing included in the printed matter on the surface of the object 101 can be extracted. If the distance indicated by the distance data received in step S503 is within a range of a distance threshold value at which a feature point of the printing included in the printed matter on the surface of the object 101 can be extracted, adjustment of the position of the camera 104 is not necessary, and the process proceeds to step S506. If the distance indicated by the distance data received in step S503 is not within the distance threshold range at which it is possible to extract a feature point of the printing contained in the printing on the surface of the object 101, then the position of the camera 104 needs to be adjusted and processing proceeds to step S505.

[0043] In step S505, movement instruction data for instructing the support 106 to move the camera 104 and the lighting 105 up and down is sent by the central processing unit 301 (camera position adjustment unit 403) via the position adjustment interface 304 to the support 106 so that the position of the camera 104 is within a distance threshold range at which feature points of the printing contained in the printed matter on the surface of the object 101 can be extracted. The positions of the camera 104 and the lighting 105 are moved by the support 106 that has received the movement instruction data.

[0044] In step S506, image acquisition instruction data for acquiring image data relating to what is printed on the surface of the object 101 is transmitted by the central processing unit 301 (image data receiving unit 404) to the camera 104 via the camera interface 305. The camera 104 that has received the image acquisition instruction data acquires the image data relating to what is printed on the surface of the object 101. The acquired image data is transmitted by the camera 104 via the camera interface 305 and received by the central processing unit 301 (image data receiving unit 404).

[0045] The image data received by the central processing unit 301 (image data receiving unit 404) is transmitted to an external device (not shown) of the image acquisition device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and the external device that receives the image data may extract printing feature points contained in the printed matter on the surface of the object 101. If extraction of the feature points is unsuccessful, the image acquisition device, instructed by the external device, may again execute steps S505 and S506 and transmit the acquired image data to the external device. The external device just described may be included in the image acquisition device in another embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] In step S507, start instruction data for starting the driving of the transport conveyor 102 is transmitted to the transport conveyor 102 via the conveyor control interface 302 by the central processing unit 301 (conveyor control unit 401).

[0047] The image acquisition method according to an embodiment of the present invention ends when the conveyor 102 starts driving upon receiving the start instruction data. When there are multiple objects 101, the multiple objects 101 are placed on the conveyor 102 one after another so that the printed matter included in each object 101 can be photographed by the camera 104, and the multiple objects 101 are transported by the conveyor 102. When the program relating to the image acquisition method according to an embodiment of the present invention has been executed for all objects 101, the power supply to the conveyor 102 may be turned off.

[0048] According to this aspect, the positional relationship between the camera and the object can be automatically adjusted for each object, and an image that identifies the object in artifact metrics can be obtained.

[0049] The present invention can be applied to a technology for individually authenticating an object by utilizing the characteristics of the object, such as fine patterns or shading randomly generated during printing, such as SAMP (registered trademark) (Shachihata Authentication Management Product). Even if printed objects look the same, the characteristic points that appear on the printed object generally differ from one printed object to another. The above technology enables individual identification or serialization, etc., by simply photographing the characters or symbols printed on the object. For example, printed objects having the same pattern can be photographed one by one, the characteristic points extracted, and the printed objects can be registered in a database by linking each printed object to a number. When performing individual identification or serialization, an additional item other than the object, such as an IC (Integrated Circuit) tag, is not required.

[0050] When authenticating an object using the above technology, the process is roughly divided into registration and matching. For example, in the registration process, a digital image of the object is acquired, color unevenness is quantified and converted into a numerical value, and the areas with high numerical values ​​are extracted as feature points, and the object and the feature points are registered. For example, in the matching process, a digital image of the object is acquired again, feature points are extracted, and these are matched with the feature points registered in the registration process. If the number of matching feature points is greater than a predetermined threshold, the object can be determined to be the same individual as the registered object based on the feature points used for matching.

[0051] The present invention can be used in either one or both of the registration and matching operations when authenticating an article using the above technology. As described above, with respect to step S506, the image data received by the central processing unit 301 (image data receiving unit 404) is transmitted to an external device (not shown) of the image acquisition device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and the external device that receives the image data may extract feature points of the printing included in the printed matter on the surface of the target object 101. If the extraction of the feature points is unsuccessful, the image acquisition device instructed by the external device may execute steps S505 and S506 a predetermined number of times and transmit the acquired image data to the external device. The present invention can also improve the accuracy of extracting feature points in the registration operation and improve the accuracy of determining the same individual in the matching operation by executing steps S505 and S506 multiple times.

[0052] The present invention is particularly useful in preventing false positives or false negatives in the above-mentioned matching operation. In the above-mentioned matching operation, even if the feature points match once, a false positive may be prevented by performing steps S505 and S506 a pre-specified number of times. In the above-mentioned matching operation, even if the feature points do not match, a false negative may be prevented by performing steps S505 and S506 a pre-specified number of times. The above-mentioned pre-specified number of times may include two or more different numbers for false positives and false negatives. The above-mentioned pre-specified number of times may be specified from an external device (not shown) of the image acquisition device according to one embodiment of the present invention via a user interface (not shown), or may be included as a threshold number of times in the data stored by the secondary storage device 307. [Industrial Applicability]

[0053] The present invention can be widely used in industries requiring identification of objects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 101 Object 102 Transport Conveyor 103 Trigger Sensor 104 Camera 105 Lighting 106 Post 107 Pillar 108 Pillar 109 Encoder 110 Control device 201 Laser sensor 301 Central Processing Unit 302 Conveyor Control Interface 303 Sensor Interface 304 Positioning Interface 305 Camera Interface 306 Main storage 307 Secondary storage device 308 Peripheral Device Interface 309 Bus 401 Conveyor control unit 402 Sensor data receiver 403 Camera position adjustment unit 404 Image data receiving unit

Claims

1. An image acquisition device for extracting feature points contained in an object, A conveyor for transporting the object; a camera for acquiring an image of a portion of the object; a light integrated with the camera for illuminating a portion of the object; a first sensor integrated with the camera and the lighting, the first sensor measuring a distance to a portion of the object; A first support pillar is installed perpendicular to a surface of the conveyor on which the object is transported, and adjusts a position of the camera perpendicular to the surface of the conveyor on which the object is transported; causing the conveyor to stop conveying the object; causing the first sensor to measure a distance to a portion of the object when the conveyor stops moving; once the distance is measured, determining whether the distance is such that the feature points can be extracted; adjusting the position of the camera to the first pillar when it is determined that the distance is not a distance at which the feature points can be extracted; and causing the camera to capture an image of a portion of the object, the image of the portion of the object including the feature points, the feature points identifying the portion of the object; A control device for performing An image acquisition device comprising:

2. The image acquisition device according to claim 1, further comprising a second support arranged parallel to a surface of the conveyor that transports the object and moves the first support parallel to the surface of the conveyor that transports the object.

3. 3. The image acquisition device of claim 2, further comprising a third support arranged parallel to a surface of the conveyor that transports the object and perpendicular to the second support, and moving the second support parallel to the surface of the conveyor that transports the object and perpendicular to the second support.

4. The image acquisition device according to claim 2, wherein the first sensor is installed so that a straight line passing through a center of the camera facing the conveyor and a center of the first sensor facing the conveyor is parallel to the second support.

5. The image acquisition device according to claim 1 , further comprising a second sensor for detecting the object being transported by the conveyor.

6. 2. The image acquisition device according to claim 1, further comprising an encoder for measuring an amount of rotation of a pulley that drives the conveyor.

7. 1. A method for extracting feature points included in an object, which is executed by an information processing terminal in an apparatus including a conveyor for transporting an object, a camera for capturing an image of a portion of the object, a light integrated with the camera for illuminating the portion of the object, a first sensor integrated with the camera and the light for measuring a distance to the portion of the object, and a support installed perpendicular to a surface along which the conveyor transports the object and for adjusting a position of the camera perpendicular to the surface along which the conveyor transports the object, comprising: causing the conveyor to stop transporting the object; When the conveyor stops moving, the first sensor measures a distance to a portion of the object; once the distance is measured, determining whether the distance is such that the feature points can be extracted; adjusting the position of the camera to the pole when it is determined that the distance is not a distance at which the feature points can be extracted; causing the camera to capture an image of a portion of the object, the image of the portion of the object including the feature points, the feature points identifying the portion of the object; 23. A method comprising:

8. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the apparatus further comprises a second sensor for detecting the object being transported by the conveyor, and wherein causing the conveyor to stop transporting the object includes receiving data indicating that the object being transported by the conveyor has been detected.

9. The apparatus further includes an encoder for measuring an amount of rotation of a pulley that drives the conveyor, and the step of causing the camera to capture an image of a portion of the object includes: receiving data indicative of an amount of rotation of the pulley; stopping the conveyor from conveying the object based on the received data indicating the amount of rotation of the pulley; 8. The method of claim 7, comprising:

Images