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US 11,317,681 B2Granted
Automated identification of shoe parts
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsPatrick Conall Regan, Chang-Chu Liao, Chih-Chi Chang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Manufacturing of a shoe or a portion of a shoe is enhanced by automated placement of shoe parts. For example, a part-recognition system analyzes an image of a shoe part to identify the part and determine a location of the part. Once the part is identified and located, the part can be manipulated in an automated manner.
Claims20
A method for positioning and aligning shoe parts in an automated manner during a shoe-manufacturing process, the method comprising:
- recording a first image of an attachment shoe part using at least one camera, the first image depicting a two-dimensional representation of the attachment shoe part;
- recording a second image of a base shoe part using the at least one camera, the second image depicting a two-dimensional representation of the base shoe part;
- identifying at least one reference feature of the attachment shoe part in the first image depicting the two-dimensional representation of the attachment shoe part;
- determining an identity of the attachment shoe part by comparing the at least one reference feature identified in the first image to at least one pre-determined reference feature of a shoe-part reference image;
- determining, from the first image, a first geometric coordinate of the attachment shoe part in a geometric coordinate system;
- determining, from the second image, a second geometric coordinate of the base shoe part in the geometric coordinate system;
- communicating the first and the second geometric coordinates to a part-transfer apparatus which operates in the geometric coordinate system;
- and
- transferring, by the part-transfer apparatus, the attachment shoe part from the first geometric coordinate to the second geometric coordinate to align the attachment shoe part with the base shoe part for attachment in the shoe-manufacturing process.
6 more elements
A system that positions and aligns shoe parts in an automated manner during a shoe-manufacturing process, the system comprising:
- at least one image recorder that records a first image of an attachment shoe part and a second image of a base shoe part, the first image depicting a two-dimensional representation of the attachment shoe part and the second image depicting a two-dimensional representation of the base shoe part;
- computer storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to:
- identify at least one reference feature of the two-dimensional representation of the attachment shoe part,
- determine an identity of the attachment shoe part by comparing the at least one reference feature of the attachment shoe part to at least one predetermined reference feature of a shoe-part reference image,
- determine, by analyzing the first image, a first geometric coordinate of the attachment shoe part in a geometric coordinate system, and
- determine, by analyzing the second image, a second geometric coordinate of the base shoe part in the geometric coordinate system;
- and
- a part-transfer apparatus, which operates in the geometric coordinate system, that is configured to:
- receive the first geometric coordinate and the second geometric coordinate, and
- transfer the attachment shoe part from the first geometric coordinate to the second geometric coordinate so that the attachment shoe part is aligned with the base shoe part for attachment in the shoe-manufacturing process.
7 more elements
A method for positioning and aligning shoe parts in an automated manner during a shoe-manufacturing process, the method comprising:
- positioning an attachment shoe part and a base shoe part;
- recording a first image of the attachment shoe part using at least one camera, the first image depicting a two-dimensional representation of the attachment shoe part;
- recording a second image of the base shoe part using the at least one camera, the second image depicting a two-dimensional representation of the base shoe part;
- identifying at least one reference feature of the attachment shoe part in the two-dimensional representation of the attachment shoe part;
- determining an identity of the attachment shoe part by comparing the at least one reference feature to at least one pre-determined reference feature of a shoe-part reference image;
- determining, from the first image, a first geometric coordinate of the attachment shoe part in a geometric coordinate system;
- determining, from the second image, a second geometric coordinate of the base shoe part in the geometric coordinate system;
- determining, from the first image and the second image, a degree of rotation of the attachment shoe part required for alignment with the base shoe part;
- and
- transferring, by a part-transfer apparatus, the attachment shoe part from the first geometric coordinate to the second geometric coordinate through the degree of rotation so that the attachment shoe part is aligned with the base shoe part for attachment during the shoe-manufacturing process.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.