Magnified Machine Vision Composite Image Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Precision machine vision inspection systems face challenges in navigating and inspecting features on large workpieces due to limited field of view and the difficulty in distinguishing between similar features, leading to slow and error-prone manual navigation processes.
Innovation Solution
A novel user interface with composite image functionality allows for efficient navigation and inspection programming by defining features with customized parameters, providing a more realistic and intuitive image update with faster response times, and conveying detailed information to isolate and identify desired features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual navigation is used to inspect features on large workpieces, then the system can operate with simple hardware, but the navigation process becomes slow and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a composite image that is a synthesized copy of the entire workpiece by combining multiple individual images. This composite image serves as a virtual map that operators can navigate efficiently without physically moving through each location on the actual workpiece, thereby improving both navigation speed and accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from navigating a physical 3D workpiece space to navigating a 2D composite image representation. This dimensional transformation allows operators to overview the entire workpiece layout at once, making feature identification and navigation significantly faster and more accurate.
2Measurement precision
If high magnification is used to inspect small features, then measurement precision improves, but the field of view becomes too limited to navigate large workpieces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the large workpiece into multiple smaller fields of view that can be captured by the camera at high magnification. These segmented images are then combined into a composite image, allowing both high magnification for detail and comprehensive coverage of the entire workpiece.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple individual high-magnification images into a single composite image that represents the entire workpiece. This combining process preserves the high measurement precision of individual images while providing a broad overview capability for navigation.
3Productivity
If multiple images are combined to create a composite view, then navigation efficiency improves, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a virtual composite copy of the workpiece that can be manipulated and navigated independently from the physical workpiece. This copying approach simplifies the user interface and navigation tasks while the underlying software handles the complexity of image integration automatically.
Data Source
AI summary
Improved user interface methods facilitate navigation and programming operations for a magnified machine vision inspection system. Large composite images are determined and stored. The composite images include workpiece features that are distributed beyond the limits of a single magnified field of view of the machine vision system. Despite their size, the composite images may be recalled and displayed in a user-friendly manner that approximates a smooth, real-time, zoom effect. The user interface may include controls that allow a user to easily define a set of workpiece features to be inspected using a composite image, and to easily position the machine vision system to view those workpiece features for the purpose of programming inspection operations for them.