Lead Recognition via Waveform Analysis to Prevent Metal Mis-Identification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional image recognition methods struggle to accurately distinguish between leads and metal portions with similar size and shape in leaded components, leading to a high mis-recognition rate.

Innovation Solution

Performing waveform analysis along multiple lines in an image to identify regions with cyclic brightness changes, using functions like the average magnitude difference function or normalized square difference function, to specifically target lead recognition areas and prevent mis-recognition of metal portions as leads.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If conventional image recognition methods are used to recognize leads in leaded components, then the recognition process is simple and fast, but the mis-recognition rate increases when metal portions with similar size and shape are present

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverecognition speedVSAvoidlead recognition accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the image processing into distinct stages: first performing waveform analysis to identify candidate regions containing leads, then conducting detailed image recognition only in those identified regions. This segmentation allows the system to maintain high recognition accuracy by focusing computational resources on relevant areas while avoiding false positives from metal portions, without significantly impacting overall processing speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different processing strategies to different regions of the image. Waveform analysis is applied to the entire image to identify candidate regions, while detailed image recognition is applied only to those specific regions. This local differentiation enables the system to achieve high accuracy in lead recognition while maintaining efficient processing by avoiding unnecessary analysis of regions containing only metal portions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If waveform analysis is performed along multiple lines to identify lead recognition target regions, then lead recognition accuracy improves by preventing mis-recognition of metal portions, but the processing complexity and time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelead recognition accuracyVSAvoidimage processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the image processing into two distinct phases: waveform analysis to identify candidate regions, and detailed image recognition in those regions. This segmentation reduces overall processing complexity by limiting the computationally intensive image recognition step to only those areas where leads are likely to be present, rather than analyzing the entire image.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs waveform analysis as a preliminary step before detailed image recognition. By analyzing brightness change patterns and identifying candidate regions first, the system prepares the data in advance, allowing the subsequent image recognition process to focus only on relevant areas. This preliminary action simplifies the overall processing by avoiding unnecessary analysis of regions without leads.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If waveform analysis is performed along multiple lines to identify lead recognition target regions, then mis-recognition of metal portions as leads is reduced, but the processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelead recognition accuracyVSAvoidimage processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides processing into waveform analysis (entire image) and detailed image recognition (candidate regions only). This segmentation reduces total processing time by limiting the computationally intensive image recognition step to small candidate regions identified by the faster waveform analysis, rather than processing the entire image with full recognition algorithms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs waveform analysis as a preliminary filtering step that quickly identifies candidate regions. This preliminary action eliminates the need to perform detailed image recognition across the entire image, significantly reducing processing time while maintaining high accuracy by focusing computational resources only on regions where leads are likely to be present.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3153814B1Lead image recognition method, lead image recognition device, method for creating component data for image processing, and device for creating component data for image processing
Publication Date: 2021.05.26 FUJI CORP
  • EP3153814B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
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AI summary

When recognizing leads by processing an image captured by a camera of a component provided with a single row or multiple rows of leads of the same size and shape at a regular pitch, waveform analysis of a change pattern of brightness (pixel value) along multiple lines set in a vertical, a horizontal, or a diagonal direction of the image is performed so as to identify a region in which the brightness changes cyclically as a lead recognition target region in which there is a possibility of a lead existing. Then, image recognition of leads is performed in the lead recognition target region. By this, even in cases in which there are metal portions or the like that are easily confusable with leads in a region outside the lead recognition target region, the mis-recognition of these metal portions or the like as leads is prevented, thus the recognition accuracy of leads is improved.