Varifocal Lens Camera Distance Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manufacturing equipment faces limitations in reducing size while maintaining accurate control of mechanical operations due to the need for additional sensor installations for distance measurement.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing a built-in camera with a varifocal liquid-crystal lens to measure distances to target objects, eliminating the need for additional sensors and improving control accuracy through image processing and focal length adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If additional sensors are installed to measure distance for accurate control, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The camera is designed to perform multiple functions: it captures images for visual inspection and simultaneously measures distance by analyzing the focal length adjustments required to achieve focus. This eliminates the need for separate distance measurement sensors, reducing device complexity while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The camera system uses its own operational parameters (focal length adjustments) to derive distance information. By monitoring how the focal length changes to achieve focus on the target object, the system self-determines distance without requiring external measurement devices.
2Manufacturing precision
If additional sensors are installed to measure distance, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The camera serves dual purposes: quality inspection through imaging and positioning through distance measurement. This multi-functionality enables improved manufacturing precision without adding separate measurement devices, thus avoiding increased device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces potential mechanical distance measurement sensors with an optical-based method using the camera's focusing mechanism. This substitution maintains or improves measurement accuracy while reducing the number of mechanical components required.
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
Enhances the accuracy of mechanical operations by using the existing camera for distance measurement, reducing equipment size and improving control precision without additional sensor installations.
Implementation Method 1
a varifocal lens, and a relationship between an amount of voltage applied to the varifocal lens and a focal length of the varifocal lens is stored in advance in a memory
Data Source
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AI summary
An object of this disclosure is to provide a manufacturing equipment that can measure the distance to a target object, and improve accuracy of the control of mechanical operations. The manufacturing equipment includes a focusing control section that causes a varifocal lens to bring the target object into focus by adjusting a voltage applied to the varifocal lens based on an electric signal of an imaging element; a memory section configured to store a lens characteristic in advance which represents a relationship between the voltage applied to the varifocal lens and the distance between the target object and a camera; and a distance measurement section configured to measure the distance to the target object based on the voltage applied to the varifocal lens when the focusing control section brings the target object into focus, and the lens characteristic.