Apparatus and methods of detecting defects in machine vision systems
AssigneeSiemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc.
InventorsRayal Raj Prasad Nalam Venkat, Yao-Jen Chang, Benjamin S. Pollack, Ankur Kapoor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods of identifying a defect in a machine vision system. Embodiments of the method include providing a first imaging device having a first field of view; moving a reflective tool through the first field of view; capturing a plurality of images of the reflective tool at different locations in the first field of view using the first imaging device; and analyzing at least one of the plurality of images to identify one or more defects in the machine vision system. Systems and apparatus configured to carry out the methods are provided, as are other aspects.
Claims17
A method of identifying a defect in a machine vision system, comprising:
- providing a first imaging device having a first field of view;
- moving a reflective tool through the first field of view;
- capturing a plurality of images of the reflective tool at different locations in the first field of view using the first imaging device;
- stitching two or more of the plurality of images of the reflective tool together to generate a synthetic background;
- and
- analyzing at least one of the plurality of images including the synthetic background to identify whether there are one or more defects in the machine vision system, wherein the plurality of images comprises pixel values, and the stitching further comprises stitching two or more of the plurality of images together to generate a synthetic background having a light intensity wherein 90% of the pixel values are within 10% of each other.
A method of identifying a defect in an optical inspection station, comprising:
- providing an imaging device having a field of view;
- providing a transport system configured to move specimen containers through the field of view;
- moving a reflective tool through the field of view;
- capturing a plurality of images of the reflective tool at different locations in the field of view using the imaging device;
- stitching two or more of the plurality of images of the reflective tool together to generate a synthetic background;
- and
- analyzing at least one of the plurality of images including the synthetic background to identify whether there are one or more defects in the optical inspection station, wherein the plurality of images comprises pixel values, and the stitching further comprises stitching two or more of the plurality of images of the reflective tool together to generate a synthetic background having a light intensity wherein 90% of the pixel values are within 10% of each other.
A machine vision system, comprising:
- an imaging device having a field of view and configured to capture a plurality of images of a reflective tool at different locations in the field of view;
- a transport system configured to move specimen containers and the reflective tool through the field of view;
- and
- a computer configured to stitch two or more of the plurality of images of the reflective tool together to generate a synthetic background and analyze at least one of the plurality of images including the synthetic background to determine whether a defect exists in an optical chain of the machine vision system, wherein the plurality of images comprises pixel values, and the stitching further comprises stitching two or more of the plurality of images together to generate a synthetic background having a light intensity wherein 90% of the pixel values are within 10% of each other.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.