Image Processing System Illumination Setting Reflection Profile

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Solution Overview

Problem

The complexity of setting illumination conditions for image processing systems with multiple lamps of different illumination directions leads to complicated settings and potential inefficiencies.

Innovation Solution

An image processing system that outputs reflection profile information, allowing for easy comparison and designation of attention points in a unified coordinate system, and uses this information to determine optimal light emission conditions, ensuring accurate and efficient illumination settings.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple lamps with different illumination directions are used, then illumination coverage and inspection capability are improved, but setting complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveillumination coverageVSAvoidsetting complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-calculates and stores reflection profile information for multiple attention points before actual inspection. By performing this calculation in advance, the system eliminates the need for complex real-time calculations when setting illumination conditions, thereby reducing setting complexity while maintaining comprehensive illumination coverage capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces reflection profile information as an intermediary data structure that mediates between the multiple lamps and the attention points. This intermediary contains pre-computed reflection characteristics that simplify the selection process, allowing operators to choose illumination conditions based on pre-analyzed data rather than complex real-time calculations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If reflection profile information is output for multiple attention points, then comparison accuracy is improved, but data processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomparison accuracyVSAvoiddata processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs reflection profile calculations for all attention points in advance and stores them in a database. When inspection is needed, the pre-computed data is simply retrieved and compared, eliminating time-consuming real-time calculations while maintaining high comparison accuracy across multiple attention points

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3540647B1Image processing system and image processing program
Publication Date: 2023.12.27 OMRON CORP
  • EP3540647B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3540647B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3540647B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An image processing system, an image processing device and an image processing program facilitating setting of illumination condition are provided. A control device (100) controls a light emission portion (4, 400) in a manner that each of plural types of partial regions (43) set on a light emission surface (40) emits light, and controls a camera (8) to image an object (W) in synchronization with light emission of each of the plural types of partial regions (43). The control device (100) outputs reflection profile information (70, 72, 74), which is generated based on input images (D) generated in each partial region (43) emitting light, and shows relationships between positions within the light emission surface (40) and degrees of light (Lc) reflected at attention sites (A) of the object (W) and incident to the camera (8) with respect to light (Li) irradiated from the positions to the object (W).