# US 11,310,467 B2 · Object inspection system and method for inspecting an object > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,310,467 B2 - Document ID: US11310467B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/866,110 - Filed: 2020-05-04 - Published: 2020-10-29 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-11 - Assignees: Inovision Software Solutions, Inc. - Applicants: Inovision Software Solutions, Inc. - Inventors: Jacob Nathaniel Allen; Zhipeng Liang; Brandon David See; Frank Damacio Luna - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11310467B2 ## CPC - H04N 7/181: {for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources} - G01N 21/8851: {Scan or image signal processing specially adapted therefor, e.g. for scan signal adjustment, for detecting different kinds of defects, for compensating for structures, markings, edges (G01N21/8806 and G01N21/93 - G01N21/95692 take precedence; optical measurement of dimensions G01B11/00; optical scanning G02B26/10; image transformation G06T3/00; computerised image enhancement G06T5/00; image processing per se for flaw detection G06T7/0002)} - G01N 21/89: in moving material, e.g. running paper or textiles (G01N21/90, G01N21/91, G01N21/94 take precedence) - G06T 7/0004: {Industrial image inspection} - G06T 7/0008: {checking presence/absence} - G06T 7/001: {using an image reference approach} - G06T 7/73: using feature-based methods - H04N 7/188: {Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position (signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253)} - H04N 17/002: {for television cameras} - H04N 23/56: provided with illuminating means - H04N 23/90: Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums - G06T 2207/10152: Varying illumination - G06T 2207/30156: Vehicle coating - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract An object inspection system and a method for detecting defects which utilizes a plurality of cameras and lights to capture images of a portion of an object and which uses the captured images to determine the presence of a defect upon a surface, such as surface, of the object and which may communicated the location of the identified defect to an automated defect repair assembly. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An object inspection system comprising: at least one light which has a fixed position; at least one camera which is in communication with the at least one light and which has a second fixed position; and a processing assembly which detects the location of the object, which selectively activates the light, which captures an image of at least a portion of the object from the at least one camera as the object is moving, and which utilizes the captured image to detect the presence of a defect upon the surface of the object, the processing assembly including an archival server, an image capture server, an image processing server, and a tracking server, wherein the archival server is effective to store the image of at least the portion of the object, the image capture server receives the image of at least the portion of the object and is in communication with the archival server, the image processing server is coupled to the image capture server and processes the received image of at least the portion of the object effective to identity the defect upon the surface of the object, and the tracking server detects the location of the object and which further includes a trigger table which is effective to the at least one light and the at least one camera to be respectively activated in order to allow the at least one camera to acquire the image, wherein the trigger table provides an activation sequence for the at least one light and the at least one camera associated to a unique shape or spatial geometry of the object. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The object inspection system of claim 1 further comprising at least one tracking camera which provides the location of said object to said processing assembly. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The object inspection system of claim 1 further comprising a laser sensor which provides the location of said object to said processing assembly. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The object inspection system of claim 1 further comprising at least one output monitor which is coupled to said archival server. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The object inspection system of claim 4 wherein said object defect is identified by the use of dark spots appearing within said image. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The object inspection system of claim 4 wherein said object defect is identified by the use of bright spots appearing within said image. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The object inspection system of claim 1, wherein the at least one light and the at least one camera are configured to be associated with an inspection swath of the portion of the surface of the object, the at least one camera configured to acquire multiple frames in capturing the image of at least the portion of the object from the at least one camera as the object is moving. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The object inspection system of claim 1, wherein the processing assembly is configured to modify at least one of the multiple frames by cropping the frame. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The object inspection system of claim 1, wherein the processing assembly is configured to modify at least one of the multiple frames by converting a color frame to grayscale. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The object inspection system of claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of lights, the plurality of lights including the at least one light, each light having a respective fixed position; and a plurality of cameras, the plurality of cameras including the at least one camera, each camera being in communication with one of the lights forming a camera-light pair, and each camera having a respective fixed position; wherein multiple camera-light pairs are configured to be associated with an inspection swath of the portion of the surface of the object, the multiple camera-light pairs configured to acquire multiple frames in capturing the image of at least the portion of the object as the object is moving. ### Claim 11 A method for detecting the presence of a defect upon the surface of an object comprising the steps of acquiring an image of at least a portion of the object as the object is moving; and using the acquired image to determine the presence of a defect upon the surface of the object using a processing assembly, wherein the processing assembly includes an archival server, an image capture server, an image processing server, and a tracking server, wherein the archival server stores the image of at least the portion of the object, the image capture server receives the image of at least the portion of the object and is in communication with the archival server, the image processing server is coupled to the image capture server and processes the received image of at least the portion of the object effective to identity the defect upon the surface of the object, and the tracking server detects the location of the object and which further includes a trigger table which is effective to at least one light and at least one camera to be respectively activated in order to allow the at least one camera to acquire the image, wherein the trigger table provides an activation sequence for the at least one light and the at least one camera associated to a unique shape or spatial geometry of the object. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein said step of using the acquired image to determine the presence of a defect upon the surface of said object comprises the step of locating bright spots within said image. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein said step of using the acquired image to determine the presence of a defect upon the surface of said object further comprises the step of locating dark spots within said image. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein said step of using the acquired image to determine the presence of a defect upon the surface of said object further comprises the step of forming clusters of bright spots and dark spots. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 further comprising placing an image of said identified defect upon an image of said object and at an object location in which said defect was identified upon said object. ### Claim 16 A method for detecting and correcting a defect upon the surface of an object comprising the steps of: acquiring at least one image of an object; using the acquired at least one image of said object to determine the location of a defect upon the surface of said object using a processing assembly, wherein the processing assembly includes an archival server, an image capture server, an image processing server, and a tracking server, wherein the archival server stores the image of at least the portion of the object, the image capture server receives the image of at least the portion of the object and is in communication with the archival server, the image processing server is coupled to the image capture server and processes the received image of at least the portion of the object effective to identity the defect upon the surface of the object, and the tracking server detects the location of the object and which further includes a trigger table which is effective to at least one light and at least one camera to be respectively activated in order to allow the at least one camera to acquire the image, wherein the trigger table provides an activation sequence for the at least one light and the at least one camera associated to a unique shape or spatial geometry of the object; communicating the presence of said identified defect to automated defect correction assembly; and correcting said defect by use of said automated defect correction assembly. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein said correction assembly comprises a robot. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16 wherein said step of using the acquired at least one image of said object to determine the location of said defect includes the steps of identifying a bright spot and a dark spot within said image; and forming a cluster of said identified bright spot and said identified dark spot. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of placing an image of said identified defect upon an image of said object. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of tracking the location of said object as said object moves.