Surface Pattern Identification via Frequency Conversion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for individual identification and management of mass-produced parts and products face challenges such as high costs due to the need for precise imaging and alignment, which is difficult to achieve without impairing product appearance or requiring significant changes to production lines, especially when products lack serial numbers or tags, and the computational resources required for image processing are substantial.
Innovation Solution
An individual identifying device that performs frequency conversion and polar coordinate conversion on images of product surfaces, allowing for accurate alignment using a common feature subregion, thereby reducing the need for precise positioning systems and enabling efficient feature extraction and identification without altering the product or production line design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If serial numbers, bar codes, QR codes, IC tags, or RFID tags are used for individual identification, then product management and tracking are improved, but the cost becomes enormous in proportion to production quantity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses optical copying to capture surface patterns of products through imaging devices. Instead of attaching physical identification tags to each product, the system creates digital copies of the natural surface patterns that occur during manufacturing. These captured images serve as unique identifiers, eliminating the need for expensive physical tags while maintaining reliable product identification and tracking capabilities.
2Reliability
If serial numbers or bar codes are written directly on small metal parts and resin parts, then identification is improved, but it becomes difficult or impossible to write them on physically small parts
Solution Approach 1:
The system captures optical images of the entire product surface using imaging devices, eliminating the need to physically write or attach identification elements to small parts. The surface pattern itself becomes the identifier through digital copying, making the method applicable to any product size including very small metal and resin parts where traditional tagging is impractical.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical writing or tagging processes with optical imaging. Instead of using physical pens, stamps, or tag attachment mechanisms on small parts, the system uses light-based capture to record surface patterns, making identification feasible for parts that are too small for conventional marking methods.
3Reliability
If serial numbers, bar codes, or tags are imparted on products, then individual identification is improved, but the appearance or design of the products is impaired
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the product's existing surface pattern as the identification medium through optical copying. No additional marks, tags, or labels are added to the product surface. The natural variations in the manufactured surface itself are captured and used for identification, thereby maintaining the original appearance and design integrity while enabling reliable individual identification.
4Measurement precision
If precise imaging and alignment are performed for surface pattern recognition, then identification accuracy is improved, but the computational resources required are substantial
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and uses only the essential surface pattern information needed for identification. By focusing on capturing and comparing key surface features rather than processing entire high-resolution images with all their computational requirements, the system maintains accurate identification while reducing the computational burden. The method extracts identifying characteristics from surface patterns without requiring exhaustive image processing.
Data Source
AI summary
An individual identifying device includes a conversion unit and an alignment unit. The conversion unit performs frequency conversion on an image obtained by imaging an object. The alignment unit performs alignment of an image for extracting a feature amount for identifying an individual of the object, based on a first subregion in the image after the frequency conversion.