Image processing system

Abstract

To provide an image processing system capable of automatically processing data collected from an image inspection device without human intervention.SOLUTION: An image processing system includes: an image inspection device that includes first storage means, acquires an image of a workpiece, performs image inspection based on the acquired image, and stores inspection data including the image and inspection results in the first storage means; a data collection device that is connected to the image inspection device via a network and collects the inspection data stored in the first storage means to another storage area on the network; and a control device that is connected to the image inspection device and the data collection device via the network, monitors and controls the image inspection device and sends the data collection device commands to use a system function of the data collection device and to perform processing according to the system function.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image processing system.

Background Art

[0002] In a product production line, an inspection device for inspecting a product based on an image of the product is arranged in an intermediate process or a final process of the line, and defect detection and sorting of defective products are performed. In recent years, regarding such an inspection device, it has become known to save captured image data and inspection data (including inspection results, measurement data, etc.) not simply by deleting them from the inspection device, but to save them in a large-capacity storage connected via a network (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses that in an image processing system including an appearance inspection device that performs an appearance inspection of a product, data of inspection results is saved in a NAS (Network Attached Storage), and further, the data of the NAS is backed up to a cloud server connected to an external network. According to such a system, data related to inspection (including image data) can be saved over a long period, and it becomes possible to use the data via a network.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in such systems, inspection data, including images, is stored in a pre-configured directory on the NAS. This leads to the problem that the storage capacity limit is quickly reached, necessitating regular changes to the storage location or backups (transfers). Furthermore, while this process may involve separating the storage location according to data attributes (type of product being inspected, inspection date and time), there is a risk of sorting errors due to human error.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its objective is to provide an image processing system that can automatically process data collected from an image inspection device without human intervention. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the present invention employs the following configuration. That is, An image inspection device comprising a first storage means, which acquires an image of a workpiece, performs an image inspection based on the acquired image, and stores inspection data including the image and inspection results in the first storage means, A data acquisition device connected to the image inspection device via a network, which collects the inspection data stored in the first storage means into another storage area on the network, A control device connected to the image inspection device and the data acquisition device via the aforementioned network, which monitors and controls the image inspection device and transmits commands to the data acquisition device to execute processing according to the system functions of the data acquisition device, This is an image processing system that has [a certain feature].

[0008] Here, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) can be used as an example of a control device. Furthermore, the first storage means described above may be, for example, an external storage device accessible only point-to-point with the image processing device. Here, point-to-point means that the image processing device and the external storage device are directly connected on a one-to-one basis. That is, the first storage means does not need to be built into the image processing device; it may be, for example, an SSD (Solid State Drive) connected via USB (Universal Serial Bus) 3.0 or later standards.

[0009] With the configuration described above, flexible file management can be performed without human intervention by sending commands from the control unit to the data acquisition device's system functions to execute various processes such as transferring (moving), backing up (copying), compressing, analyzing, and creating new directories for the collected data.

[0010] Furthermore, the data acquisition device may also include a second storage means, which collects the inspection data stored in the first storage means into the second storage means according to predetermined conditions. That is, the storage area may be the second storage means provided by the data acquisition device. With such a configuration, it becomes possible to separate the collection of data by the data acquisition device from the first storage means of the image inspection device and the transfer of data from the second storage means of the data acquisition device to network storage such as a NAS. As a result, when performing data acquisition, the time required to access the image inspection device can be limited to the time required to transmit data from the first storage means of the image inspection device to the second storage means of the data acquisition device, thereby reducing the resources that the image inspection device allocates to data acquisition and enabling faster image processing.

[0011] Furthermore, the image processing system may further include one or more storage devices connected to the network, the control device transmits a transfer command, which is the command to transfer the inspection data to the storage device, to the data acquisition device, and upon receiving the transfer command, the data acquisition device uses a system function related to data transfer to perform the process of transferring the inspection data from the second storage means to the storage device. With such a configuration, it becomes possible to perform data transfer at a flexible timing depending on the remaining capacity of the network storage, etc.

[0012] Furthermore, the control device transmits a directory creation command, which is the command to create a new directory in the storage device, and a transfer command to the data acquisition device. The data acquisition device may, upon receiving the directory creation command, execute a process to create a new directory in the storage device using a system function related to directory creation, and also execute a process to transfer the inspection data from the second storage means to the newly created directory.

[0013] With this configuration, it becomes possible to create new directories according to the data attributes (e.g., data acquisition date) and then transfer the data so that the inspection data is saved in the newly created directories. Therefore, data can be organized automatically without human intervention, and human errors associated with data organization can be prevented.

[0014] Furthermore, the image processing system has multiple storage devices, The control device transmits the transfer command to the data acquisition device, which includes information identifying the attributes of the inspection data and information specifying different storage devices according to the differences in the attributes. The data acquisition device may perform a process of transferring the inspection data having the identified attributes from the second storage means to the designated storage device.

[0015] With this configuration, it becomes possible to transfer data so that inspection data is allocated and saved to one of multiple network storage devices according to its attributes (e.g., the type and part number of the item being inspected). This allows for automatic data organization on a per-storage basis and extends the time at which each storage device reaches its capacity limit compared to when all data is transferred to a single storage device. In other words, the frequency of data backups can be reduced.

[0016] Furthermore, the data acquisition device has an application program installed that performs data compression. The control device transmits a data compression command, which is the command for compressing the inspection data in the storage device that meets predetermined conditions using the application program that performs data compression, to the data acquisition device. The data acquisition device may also use a system function that, upon receiving the data compression command, starts an application for data compression to perform a process of compressing the inspection data in the storage device that meets the predetermined conditions.

[0017] With this configuration, for example, by compressing inspection data of products that are no longer subject to quality monitoring (e.g., due to exceeding a predetermined deadline), it becomes possible to automatically free up storage capacity.

[0018] Furthermore, the data acquisition device may have an application program installed for performing data analysis, and the control device may transmit a data analysis command to the data acquisition device, which is a command to analyze the inspection data stored in the storage device using the application program for performing data analysis, and the data acquisition device may use a system function that starts the application for data analysis upon receiving the data analysis command to acquire the inspection data stored in the storage device and perform the process of analyzing the inspection data. In addition, the data acquisition device may transmit analysis result information relating to the results of the analysis to the control device, and the control device may set the inspection threshold of the image inspection device based on the analysis result information.

[0019] With this configuration, data analysis is automatically performed in response to the accumulation of a certain amount of inspection data, and based on the results of this analysis, the control device can automatically reset (change) inspection setting data such as the inspection threshold of the image inspection device. In other words, it becomes possible to automatically perform data analysis and inspection settings so that image inspection can be carried out with the optimal inspection settings.

[0020] Furthermore, the data acquisition device maintains a list of permissible commands, which includes the content of the permissible commands and other commands transmitted to the data acquisition device via the network. The system may determine whether or not to execute the received command or instruction based on the permitted command list.

[0021] Note that the content listed in the above allowable instruction list does not necessarily refer to all the content of the instruction. Instead, even a part of the character string of the system function included in the instruction may be listed. Hereinafter, including such content, the content listed in the allowable instruction list is also referred to as an allowable command. Note that the allowable commands may be configured to allow users to add and delete them as appropriate. According to such a configuration, when the data collection device receives an instruction to execute a predetermined data processing using a system function, only the allowable commands can be executed. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the instruction using the system function from being exploited to cause the data collection device to execute undesirable processing. Further, by allowing access to the allowable instruction list only by those with specific permissions and / or only from specific terminals, higher security can be achieved.

[0022] In addition, each of the above configurations and processes can be combined with each other to constitute the present invention as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

Advantages of the Invention

[0023] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image processing system capable of automatically organizing data collected from an image inspection device without manual intervention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the outline of an image processing system according to an application example. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the difference in processing speed between an image processing system according to an application example and a conventional image processing system. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of an image processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of an image processing system according to an embodiment. [Figure 5]Figure 5 is the first diagram showing an example of the information processing flow in the image processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a second diagram showing an example of the information processing flow in the image processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a third diagram showing an example of the information processing flow in the image processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a fourth diagram showing an example of the information processing flow in the image processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is the fifth figure showing an example of the information processing flow in the image processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a sixth figure showing an example of the information processing flow in the image processing system according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0025] <Examples of application> (System Overview) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present invention can be applied, for example, as an image processing system 9 as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1 is a functional block diagram showing an outline of the image processing system 9 according to this application example. As shown in Figure 1, the image processing system 9 according to this application example generally includes an appearance inspection device 100 as an image inspection device, an industrial information processing terminal (IPC: Industrial PC) 200 as a data acquisition device, a PLC 300 as a control device, and a NAS 400, which are connected by a LAN (Local Area Network). In addition, an SSD 101 is connected to the appearance inspection device 100 via local communication standard data (e.g., USB 3.0).

[0026] (Visual inspection device) The visual inspection device 100 is installed on the product production line and takes images of the product (hereinafter also referred to as workpiece). It then performs a visual inspection on the captured images of the workpiece based on inspection criteria that include pre-set inspection items and threshold values ​​for those items. The visual inspection device 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), and other main memory and auxiliary storage devices (SSD, F It can be an information processing terminal equipped with features such as rush memory.

[0027] Furthermore, the visual inspection device 100 stores the image data of the captured workpiece and the data related to the inspection results performed on the image (hereinafter, these are collectively referred to as inspection data) in the SSD 101.

[0028] (Data acquisition device) The IPC200 is a general-purpose computer system equipped with a CPU, main memory such as RAM, secondary memory, input devices (keyboard, mouse, controller, touch panel, etc.), output devices (display, printer, speaker, etc.), and communication means.

[0029] The IPC200 has a function to collect inspection data from the SSD 101 connected to the visual inspection device 100 to a predetermined storage area on the network, according to predetermined conditions. Examples of predetermined storage areas include the IPC200's own auxiliary storage device and the NAS400. The predetermined conditions can be, for example, instructions from the user, the arrival of a predetermined time or predetermined time interval, or commands from the PLC300 described later.

[0030] (NAS) The NAS400 is a large-capacity storage device, and the inspection data collected by the IPC200 from the visual inspection device 100 is stored in the NAS400. In conventionally known image processing systems, image data (including data) processed by the image processing device was transmitted directly to the NAS via the network. On the other hand, in the image processing system 9 of this application example, the configuration is different; the NAS400 receives and stores the data collected by the IPC200.

[0031] (PLC) The PLC300 is a control device that monitors the operating status of the visual inspection device 100 and the IPC200 and controls them as needed. The PLC300 also sends various commands to the IPC200 in accordance with pre-set rules based on information such as the operating status of the visual inspection device 100 and the IPC200, the remaining capacity of the SSD 101 and NAS400, and the arrival of predetermined times and time intervals. Specifically, the PLC300 sends commands to the IPC200 to perform various information processing using the IPC200's system functions, and the IPC200 executes the processing using the system functions corresponding to the command. The commands that the PLC300 sends to the IPC200 include a variety of commands, such as a move command to perform file movement (transfer) from the IPC200 to the NAS400, and a mkdir command to perform the process of creating a new directory (file storage area) on the NAS400.

[0032] In this way, by configuring the PLC300 to monitor the operating status of the visual inspection device 100 and the IPC200, and to send commands to the IPC200 to perform various information processing using system functions, it becomes possible to automatically perform flexible data management processes without requiring human intervention each time.

[0033] For example, the PLC300 sends a command to the IPC200 to execute data acquisition processing at a time that minimizes the impact on the inspection data transfer process, depending on the operating status of the visual inspection device 100, and initiates the collection of inspection data from the SSD101 to the IPC200. Then, the IPC300 sends a command to the IPC200 to execute the process of transferring the inspection data to the NAS400 at an appropriate time. These processes can be executed automatically. By doing so, for example, it is possible to suppress the allocation of resources by the visual inspection device 100 to processing related to data transfer.

[0034] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram comparing a conventional method with the method using this application example regarding the process by which the IPC200 collects inspection data from the SSD101 and transfers it to the NAS400. As shown in Figure 2, in the conventional method (upper part of Figure 2), for example, the collection of inspection data from the SSD101 and the transfer to the NAS400 are performed in one step according to a predetermined rule, the visual inspection device 100 will access the SSD101 throughout the entire transfer period. During this time, the image processing performance of the visual inspection device 100 may be reduced. On the other hand, as described above, by having the PLC300 acquire inspection data by sending a command to the IPC200 to collect inspection data at a time when the load on the visual inspection device 100 is low, and then sending a command to transfer the data from the IPC200 to the NAS400 at an appropriate time, the time that the IPC200 spends accessing the SSD101 can be greatly reduced. This prevents a decrease in the processing speed of the visual inspection device 100 and makes it possible to improve the overall processing speed of the system.

[0035] Furthermore, the present invention can be implemented in various forms other than those described above. Examples of embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below.

[0036] <Embodiment 1> (System Configuration) Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the image processing system 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 4 is a functional block diagram showing an overview of the functional configuration of the image processing system 1 according to this embodiment. The image processing system 1 has a configuration that is generally the same as the image processing system 9 in the application example. Therefore, the same reference numerals are used for components that are the same as those in the image processing system 9, and further explanation is omitted. The image processing system 1 according to this embodiment has multiple NAS (NAS400a, NAS400b...NAS400n), but in the following description, NAS400a, NAS400b...NAS400n may simply be referred to as NAS400 when it is not necessary to distinguish between them.

[0037] In Figures 3 and 4, the lines connecting each component indicate the communication connection relationships. Solid lines represent local connections, dotted lines represent connections using common communication standards (e.g., Ethernet), and dashed lines represent standards that offer superior speed and stability compared to common communication standards (e.g., EtherCAT).

[0038] (Visual inspection device) As shown in Figure 4, the visual inspection device 100 has a control unit 110, a storage unit 120, and a communication unit 130 as its functional units.

[0039] The control unit 110 is configured to include, for example, a CPU, and controls the entire visual inspection device 100 according to a predetermined program. The predetermined program is stored in the storage unit 120 and read from there. The control unit 110 further includes an image acquisition unit 111 and an inspection execution unit 112 as functional modules. Each functional module may be implemented, for example, by the CPU reading and executing a program stored in the storage unit 120.

[0040] The memory unit 120 is composed of a main memory such as RAM or ROM (Read Only Memory), and an auxiliary storage device such as a removable SSD 101. The main memory is a storage medium that stores programs executed in the control unit 110 and setting information for operation. The auxiliary storage device stores inspection items and inspection thresholds for visual inspection. Various types of data are stored, such as data related to the inspection, images of the photographed workpiece, and results data of the inspections performed. In this embodiment, the SSD 101 corresponds to the first storage means in the present invention.

[0041] The communication unit 130 communicates with other devices such as the data acquisition device 200 and the PLC 300 via the network. The communication unit 130 can adopt an appropriate configuration depending on the connection method with the connected communication network, and can be configured to connect in either a wired or wireless manner.

[0042] The image acquisition unit 111 acquires an image of the workpiece using a shooting means built into or connected to the visual inspection device 100. The inspection execution unit 112 then performs a visual inspection of the workpiece based on the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit 111. Specifically, it measures the shape of the workpiece, detects defects (scratches, dirt, etc.) based on the feature quantities of the image, and performs processing to determine whether the workpiece is a good product or not. The image data and result data (measured values, good / bad judgment results, etc.) related to this processing are then stored in the SSD 101 each time. In the following, the image data and result data related to the visual inspection will be collectively referred to as "inspection data".

[0043] (IPC) The IPC200 is a general-purpose computer system equipped with a CPU, main memory such as RAM and ROM, auxiliary memory, input devices, output devices, and communication means. As shown in Figure 4, the IPC200 also has a functional unit consisting of a control unit 210, a storage unit 220, and a communication unit 230.

[0044] The control unit 210 is composed of, for example, a CPU and is responsible for controlling the entire IPC200 according to a predetermined program. The control unit 210 further includes a command content execution unit 211 as a functional module. As will be described later, the command content execution unit 211 executes various commands using system functions transmitted from the PLC300 and controls the IPC200 to perform processing according to the command.

[0045] The storage unit 220 is composed of a main memory such as RAM or ROM (Read Only Memory), and an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk or SSD. The main memory is a storage medium that stores programs executed by the control unit 210 and setting information for operation. The auxiliary storage device stores various information such as data collected from the visual inspection device 100 and the allowable command list described later. In this embodiment, the auxiliary storage device of the IPC200 corresponds to the second storage means in the present invention.

[0046] The communication unit 230 communicates with other devices such as the visual inspection device 100, PLC300, and NAS400 via the network. The communication unit 230 can be configured appropriately depending on the connection method with the connected communication network, and can be configured to connect via either wired or wireless means.

[0047] Although not shown in the diagram, the IPC200 is equipped with various input methods such as a keyboard, mouse, and touch panel, as well as various output methods such as a display, speaker, and printer, and information is input and output through these.

[0048] (PLC) The PLC300 is a control device that monitors the operating status of the visual inspection device 100 and the IPC200 and controls them as appropriate. As shown in Figure 4, the PLC300 has a control unit 310, a storage unit 320, and a communication unit 330 as its functional units. The control unit 310 further includes a command content generation unit 311 and a terminal status monitoring unit 312 as functional modules.

[0049] The command content generation unit 311 generates various data management commands to be executed by the IPC200 according to predetermined rules and transmits them to the IPC200 via the communication unit 330 at an appropriate time. The generated commands include, for example, the command body that indicates the content of the processing itself and an identifier that specifies the target of the processing.

[0050] The terminal status monitoring unit 312 monitors the operating status of the visual inspection device 100 and the IPC 200, and provides this information to the command content generation unit 311 when the device load, memory capacity, etc., meet predetermined conditions. In addition, for the visual inspection device 100, it acquires various data related to the operating status, such as sensor data from each part, and stores it in the storage unit 320.

[0051] Since the memory unit 320 and communication unit 330 can be configured in the same way as the memory unit and communication unit of the visual inspection device 100 and IPC200, a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0052] (Data collection process flow) Next, the basic processing flow for collecting inspection data in the image processing system 1 according to this embodiment will be explained based on Figures 5 and 6. Figures 5 and 6 are diagrams showing the exchange of information and the processing flow performed within the image processing system 1. As shown in Figure 5, first the visual inspection device 100 photographs the workpiece to acquire image data (S101), and then performs visual inspection processing of the workpiece based on the image data (S102). Then, the image data related to the visual inspection and the inspection result data are saved to the SSD 101, which is local storage.

[0053] The PLC300 constantly monitors the operating status of the visual inspection device 100. That is, the PLC300 constantly acquires operating status data of the visual inspection device 100 (S104). Based on this operating status data, the PLC300 continuously determines whether it is an appropriate time to collect inspection data (S105), and if it determines that it is an appropriate time, it sends a command to the IPC200 to collect inspection data (S106).

[0054] The instruction to collect inspection data does not necessarily have to be a command that uses a system function; it may also be equivalent to a trigger for IPC200 to send a data request signal to SSD101. Upon receiving the instruction from PLC300, IPC200 executes the collection process, assuming that the conditions for collecting inspection data have been met (S107), and outputs a signal to the visual inspection device 100 requesting it to transmit the inspection data in SSD101 (S108).

[0055] Upon receiving a data request signal from the IPC200, the visual inspection device 100 executes a process to transmit the inspection data stored in the SSD101 (S109). The inspection data (image data, result data) is then transmitted from the SSD101 and stored in the storage unit 220 of the IPC200 (S110). At this point, the data acquisition process is temporarily terminated. This limits the time that the IPC200 has to access the SSD101.

[0056] (Data transfer process flow) Next, an example of subsequent inspection data processing will be explained based on Figure 6. The PLC300 generates a command to transfer the inspection data stored in the storage unit 220 of the IPC200 to the NAS400, triggered by the fulfillment of a predetermined condition (for example, the arrival of a predetermined time) (S111), and sends the command to the IPC200 (S112). Upon receiving the command, the IPC200 uses a system function (for example, the move command) to perform processing to execute the contents of the command (i.e., the transfer of inspection data to the NAS400) (S113). As a result, image data and inspection result data are sent to the NAS400 (S114), the inspection data is saved in file format in a predetermined directory, and the series of processes is completed.

[0057] (Process to transfer data to different NAS devices depending on the product type) Furthermore, the decision of which of the multiple NAS400s to transfer the inspection data to may be made based on pre-configured rules. Alternatively, as described below, the PLC300 may create a command that specifies the destination NAS400 depending on differences in the type of workpiece being inspected, and the IPC200 may determine the destination of the inspection data based on that command.

[0058] Figure 7 shows the processing flow when the destination NAS for transferring inspection data is distributed according to the type of workpiece. As shown in Figure 7, the command content generation unit 311 of the PLC300 generates a command (S201) for transferring the inspection data stored in the storage unit 220 of the IPC200 to different NAS400s according to the type of workpiece. Specifically, it generates a command that, for example, transfers the inspection data of workpiece of type X to NAS400a, and transfers the inspection data of workpiece of type Y to NAS400b. That is, in step S201, the command generated includes not only the command body for executing the transfer, but also an identifier that specifies the type of workpiece, an identifier that specifies the destination NAS400, etc. Note that the identifier that specifies the type of workpiece may be a part of the file name of the inspection data.

[0059] The command generated in step S201 is sent to IPC200 (S202). Upon receiving the command, IPC200 uses a system function to transfer the contents of the command, i.e., the inspection data stored in the storage unit 220, to the NAS400 designated according to the type of workpiece (S203). As a result, the inspection data is sent from the storage unit 220 of IPC200 to each NAS400 designated as the transfer destination (S204), the inspection data is saved in each NAS400, and the series of processes is completed.

[0060] According to the image processing system 1 of this embodiment described above, inspection data can be collected from the visual inspection device 100 at appropriate timings, and the transfer process can be executed after automatically setting the destination NAS 400 according to the type of workpiece. This prevents human error and allows a new storage location to be specified before the capacity of the destination NAS runs out, significantly reducing the amount of manual work required for periodic data organization (such as file classification and backup, i.e., securing NAS capacity).

[0061] (Determination based on the list of permissible commands) Furthermore, the IPC200 may be configured to determine whether to accept commands sent from the PLC300 to the IPC200 or other commands sent to the IPC200 via the network. Specifically, the IPC200 may be configured to maintain an allowable command list in the storage unit 220 that lists system functions that it is permitted to execute, and to reject commands that request the execution of system functions not listed in this list.

[0062] Figure 8 shows an example of the processing flow when performing a determination process using such an allowable command list. First, the PLC300 generates a command to the IPC200 to perform the following processes: create a new directory in the NAS400, name the new directory with a date in YYYYMMDD format, and transfer the inspection data stored in the IPC200's storage unit 220 to the corresponding directory according to the attribute of the inspection date (S301). Then, the command is sent from the PLC300 to the IPC200 (S302). Upon receiving the command, the IPC200 refers to the allowable command list held in the storage unit 220 and performs a process to determine whether or not to execute the command received from the PLC300 (S303). Specifically, it checks whether the system function for creating a new directory, the system function for naming a new directory, and the system function for transferring files are listed in the list of acceptable commands.

[0063] After the determination process is performed in step S303, the determination result is transmitted to the PLC300 (S304). The following describes the process when all system functions included in the command are listed in the permitted command list. If the command transmitted from the PLC300 requests processing using a system function that is not listed in the permitted list, the IPC200 terminates processing there.

[0064] In step S303, if it is determined that all system functions included in the instruction are listed in the list of acceptable instructions, the IPC200 creates a new directory in the NAS400 using a system function to create a new directory, and sets the directory name using a system function to name the new directory (S305). Then, using a system function to transfer files, it performs a transfer process to store the inspection data stored in the storage unit 220 in the directory corresponding to the date the inspection was performed (S306). As a result, the inspection data is sent from the storage unit 220 of the IPC200 to the directory designated as the transfer destination in the NAS400 (S307), the inspection data is saved in each directory, and the series of processes is completed.

[0065] The contents listed in the above list of permissible commands do not necessarily refer to the entire content of a command; they may include only a portion of the system function strings contained within the command. These contents, including those listed in the list of permissible commands, are also referred to as permissible commands. Furthermore, users may be able to add or delete permissible commands as needed. With this configuration, when the IPC200 receives a command instructing it to perform a predetermined data processing using a system function, it can be configured to execute only permissible commands. This prevents the misuse of commands using system functions to cause the IPC200 to perform undesirable processing. Security can also be further enhanced by restricting access to the list of permissible commands to only those with specific privileges and / or from specific terminals.

[0066] (Processing that uses other application programs) Furthermore, the image processing system 1 can automatically perform various other processes based on commands from the PLC300, in addition to transferring files from the IPC200 to the NAS400. Specifically, for example, it is possible to have the IPC200 perform a process to compress the data size of the NAS400 using an application program that performs data compression.

[0067] Figure 9 shows the processing flow of PLC300 and IPC200 when performing such data compression processing. As shown in Figure 9, first, PLC300 generates a command to IPC200 to compress files stored in NAS400 that have exceeded their quality control period, triggered by the arrival of a predetermined time interval (S401). Then, this command is sent from PLC300 to IPC200 (S402). Upon receiving the command, IPC200 starts a file compression program using a system function that launches an application program, and executes the process of compressing the size of the target file (specified file) in NAS400 (S403). This makes it possible to secure the storage capacity of NAS400.

[0068] (Changes to the settings of the visual inspection device) Furthermore, in the image processing system 1, based on the results of the processing performed by IPC200, PL C300 can also perform the setting (change) of inspection criteria for the visual inspection device 100. Figure 10 shows an example of the processing flow when the PLC300 automatically sets the inspection criteria for the visual inspection device 100. As shown in Figure 10, first, the PLC300, triggered by the arrival of a predetermined time interval, generates a command to the IPC200 to acquire inspection data stored in the NAS400 (for example, to create a copy in the storage unit 220) and perform analysis on the inspection data (S501). Then, this command is transmitted from the PLC300 to the IPC200 (S502). Upon receiving the command, the IPC200 sends a signal to the NAS400 requesting inspection data with predetermined content (S503), and the NAS400, in response, sends inspection data including image data and result data to the IPC200 (S504). Having acquired the inspection data, the IPC200 starts an application program that performs data analysis using system functions and performs data analysis on the set of inspection data (S505). The IPC200 then transmits the results of the data analysis (for example, the optimal threshold parameters for a predetermined inspection item) to the PLC300 (S506). Upon receiving the data analysis results, the PLC300 creates new inspection parameters for the visual inspection device 100 (for example, new thresholds for a predetermined inspection item) based on the results (S507), and transmits the information of these parameters to the visual inspection device 100 (S508). The visual inspection device 100 then sets the received new parameters as new inspection criteria (S509), and the series of processes ends.

[0069] According to this, the PLC300 can automatically perform data analysis in response to the accumulation of a certain amount of inspection data, and based on the results of this analysis, it can automatically reset (change) inspection setting data such as the inspection threshold of the visual inspection device 100. In other words, it becomes possible to automatically perform data analysis and inspection settings so that image inspection can be carried out with the optimal inspection settings.

[0070] <Other> The above description of the embodiments is merely illustrative, and the present invention is not limited to the specific forms described above. The present invention can be modified and combined in various ways within the scope of its technical concept. For example, in the image processing system 1 according to the above embodiment, there was only one visual inspection device 100, but it may also be configured to include multiple visual inspection devices. In this case, each visual inspection device may be connected to the IPC 200 via a HUB.

[0071] Furthermore, the processing flow described in the above embodiment is merely an example, and it goes without saying that it is possible to further divide the processing of each step or to change the order of processing as appropriate.

[0072] <Note> An image inspection device (100) is provided with a first storage means (101) that acquires an image of a workpiece, performs an image inspection based on the acquired image, and stores inspection data including the image and inspection results in the first storage means. A data acquisition device (200) is connected to the image inspection device via a network and collects the inspection data stored in the first storage means into other storage areas (220, 400) on the network, A control device (300) connected to the image inspection device and the data acquisition device via the aforementioned network, which monitors and controls the image inspection device and transmits commands to the data acquisition device to execute processing according to the system functions of the data acquisition device, An image processing system (1) having the following: [Explanation of Symbols]

[0073] 1.9...Image processing system 400, 400a, 400b, 400n...NAS 100...Visual inspection device 110, 210, 310, ... control unit 101···SSD 200···IPC 300···PLC

Claims

1. An image inspection device comprising a first storage means, which acquires an image of a workpiece, performs an image inspection based on the acquired image, and stores inspection data including the image and inspection results in the first storage means, A data acquisition device connected to the image inspection device via a network, which collects the inspection data stored in the first storage means into another storage area on the network, A control device connected to the image inspection device and the data acquisition device via the aforementioned network, which monitors and controls the image inspection device and transmits commands to the data acquisition device to execute processing according to the system functions of the data acquisition device, It has, The control device transmits to the data acquisition device a directory creation command, which is the command to create a new directory in the other storage area, and a collection command, which is the command to collect the inspection data in the other storage area, which includes information that identifies the attributes of the inspection data and information that specifies different directories according to the differences in the attributes. The data acquisition device, upon receiving the directory creation command, executes a process to create a new directory in the other storage area using the system function related to directory creation, and upon receiving the acquisition command, collects the inspection data having the specified attributes into the designated directory using the system function related to data acquisition. Image processing system.

2. The system further has one or more storage devices connected to the aforementioned network. The other memory area is the memory device. The image processing system according to claim 1.

3. An image inspection device comprising a first storage means, which acquires an image of a workpiece, performs an image inspection based on the acquired image, and stores inspection data including the image and inspection results in the first storage means, A data acquisition device is connected to the image inspection device via a network and includes a second storage means, which collects the inspection data stored in the first storage means into the second storage means. A control device connected to the image inspection device and the data acquisition device via the aforementioned network, which monitors and controls the image inspection device and transmits commands to the data acquisition device to execute processing according to the system functions of the data acquisition device, One or more storage devices connected to the aforementioned network, It has, The control device transmits a directory creation command, which is the command to create a new directory in the storage device, and a transfer command, which is the command to transfer the inspection data to the storage device, to the data acquisition device. The data acquisition device, upon receiving the directory creation command, executes a process to create a new directory in the storage device using the system function related to directory creation, and upon receiving the transfer command, executes a process to transfer the inspection data from the second storage means to the newly created directory in the storage device using the system function related to data transfer. Image processing system.

4. An image inspection device comprising a first storage means, which acquires an image of a workpiece, performs an image inspection based on the acquired image, and stores inspection data including the image and inspection results in the first storage means, A data acquisition device is connected to the image inspection device via a network and includes a second storage means, which collects the inspection data stored in the first storage means into the second storage means. A control device connected to the image inspection device and the data acquisition device via the aforementioned network, which monitors and controls the image inspection device and transmits commands to the data acquisition device to execute processing according to the system functions of the data acquisition device, Multiple storage devices connected to the aforementioned network, It has, The control device transmits a transfer command to the data acquisition device, which includes information that identifies the attributes of the inspection data and information that specifies different storage devices according to the differences in the attributes, Upon receiving the transfer command, the data acquisition device executes a process to transfer the inspection data having the specified attributes from the second storage means to the designated storage device using the system function related to data transfer. Image processing system.

5. An image inspection device comprising a first storage means, which acquires an image of a workpiece, performs an image inspection based on the acquired image, and stores inspection data including the image and inspection results in the first storage means, A data acquisition device is connected to the image inspection device via a network, is equipped with a second storage means, has an application program installed that performs data compression, and collects the inspection data stored in the first storage means into the second storage means. A control device connected to the image inspection device and the data acquisition device via the aforementioned network, which monitors and controls the image inspection device and transmits commands to the data acquisition device to execute processing according to the system functions of the data acquisition device, One or more storage devices connected to the aforementioned network, It has, The control device transmits to the data acquisition device a transfer command, which is the command to transfer the inspection data to the storage device, and a data compression command, which is the command to compress the inspection data in the storage device that meets predetermined conditions using the application program. The data acquisition device, upon receiving the transfer command, executes a process to transfer the inspection data from the second storage means to the storage device using the system function related to data transfer, and upon receiving the data compression command, executes a process to compress the inspection data in the storage device that satisfies the predetermined conditions using the system function that starts the application. Image processing system.

6. An image inspection device comprising a first storage means, which acquires an image of a workpiece, performs an image inspection based on the acquired image, and stores inspection data including the image and inspection results in the first storage means, A data acquisition device is connected to the image inspection device via a network, is equipped with a second storage means, has an application program installed for performing data analysis, and collects the inspection data stored in the first storage means into the second storage means. A control device connected to the image inspection device and the data acquisition device via the aforementioned network, which monitors and controls the image inspection device and transmits commands to the data acquisition device to execute processing according to the system functions of the data acquisition device, One or more storage devices connected to the aforementioned network, It has, The control device transmits a transfer command, which is the command to transfer the inspection data to the storage device, and a data analysis command, which is the command to analyze the inspection data stored in the storage device using the application program, to the data acquisition device. The data acquisition device, upon receiving the transfer command, executes a process to transfer the inspection data from the second storage means to the storage device using the system function related to data transfer, and upon receiving the data analysis command, executes a process to acquire the inspection data stored in the storage device and analyze the inspection data using the system function that starts the application. Image processing system.

7. The data acquisition device transmits the analysis result information relating to the results of the analysis to the control device. The control device sets the inspection threshold of the image inspection device based on the analysis result information. The image processing system according to claim 6.

8. The data acquisition device maintains a list of permitted commands, which contains the contents of the permitted commands and other commands transmitted to the data acquisition device via the network. Based on the list of permitted commands, it is determined whether or not to execute the received command or instruction. The image processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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