Image Processing System for Region-Specific Illumination

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Solution Overview

Problem

In factory automation, image measurement accuracy varies across surface regions of a target due to differing illumination conditions, leading to inconsistent results even under the same illumination setup.

Innovation Solution

An image processing system that includes an imaging unit, an illumination unit with multiple light emitting units, and a generation unit that acquires and processes image data based on specific conditions for each surface region, adjusting illumination states and combining partial region image data to ensure accurate measurements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the same illumination conditions are used for the entire target, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision varies across different surface regions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveillumination system complexityVSAvoidsurface shape measurement accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by dividing the target surface into multiple regions and assigning different illumination conditions (different light emitting units) to different regions based on their surface shapes. This allows each region to be illuminated optimally for its specific characteristics, resolving the contradiction between using simple uniform illumination and achieving high measurement precision across varied surfaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamics by sequentially activating different light emitting units based on the imaging position and surface region being measured. The illumination conditions are dynamically adjusted during the measurement process rather than remaining static, enabling adaptation to different surface regions while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Measurement precision

If image measurement is performed for each pixel, then the measurement precision is maximized, but the processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage measurement accuracyVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the image data into multiple partial regions and performing measurements on these grouped regions rather than on individual pixels. This reduces the total number of processing operations while maintaining measurement precision, as adjacent pixels within the same partial region share similar illumination conditions and can be processed together.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements partial action by focusing measurement processing on representative pixels or key positions within each partial region rather than processing every single pixel. This approach achieves sufficient measurement precision for the entire region without the excessive processing time required for pixel-by-pixel analysis of all pixels.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3499408B1Image processing system and image processing program
Publication Date: 2022.02.16 OMRON CORP
  • EP3499408B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3499408B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3499408B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

It is to perform image measurement under appropriate conditions according to a position in image data. An image processing device acquires a plurality of pieces of image data generated by imaging in a plurality of different light emission states of a plurality of light emitting units included in an illumination device. The image processing device generates image data to be used for image measurement on the basis of the plurality of pieces of acquired image data and a generation condition defined in association with the position in the image data.