Laboratory Sample Container Inspection with Brightness-Depth Fusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining container information in laboratory sample containers are inaccurate, unreliable, and prone to uncertainty when using only brightness or color information individually.
Innovation Solution
A method that combines brightness and depth information to accurately determine container properties, using a 3D camera to acquire both types of information and fuse them for precise container inspection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If only brightness or color information is used for determining container information, then the system complexity is low, but the measurement precision and reliability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines brightness information from a 2D image sensor and depth information from a time-of-flight sensor to determine container information. By merging multiple information sources, the system achieves higher measurement precision and reliability than using either sensor type alone, while the fusion process is integrated into a unified determination system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from using only 2D brightness/color information to incorporating 3D depth information by introducing a time-of-flight sensor. This adds a new dimensional aspect (depth) to the container inspection, enabling more accurate determination of container properties such as presence, cap status, and fill level.
2Reliability
If multiple information sources are fused to determine container information, then the reliability is improved, but the processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The determination device integrates brightness information and depth information through an information fusion process. This merging of multiple information sources improves the reliability of container information determination by cross-validating data from different sensor types and reducing uncertainty in the inspection results.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate, reliable, and less uncertain determination of container information, such as the presence of samples, cap status, and sample levels, facilitating automated handling processes.
Implementation Method 1
Step b) comprises: acquiring the map comprising the depth information by a time-of-flight measurement
Data Source
Figure 1a~2c
Figure 3a~4c
Figure 5a~5c
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for determining at least one container information (coi) about a laboratory sample container (1), wherein the method comprises the steps: a) acquiring an image (ibc) comprising a brightness and/or color information (bci) of a possible region (2) of the container (1), b) acquiring a map (md) comprising a depth information (di) of the region (2), and c) determining the container information (coi) by fusing the brightness and/or color information (bci) and the depth information (di).