Image Processing Controller and Test Support System

An image processing controller, used in a test support system including

• a camera which photographs an object to be tested, to generate a camera image,
• the image processing controller which extracts a measurement result from the camera image, and determines the quality of the object to be tested based upon this measurement result, to output a determination signal,
• a display which is display controlled by the image processing controller, and displays the measurement result,
• an operational unit for operating the image processing controller, and
• a program creation apparatus which creates a control program for the image processing controller,
• the program creation apparatus having
• a processing unit storing part for holding two or more processing units that show image processing where a parameter is changeable,
• a flowchart generating part for arranging the processing units on an execution flow that is started with a start symbol and completed with an end symbol, to generate a flowchart,
• a program generating part for generating a control program for the image processing controller based upon the flowchart, and
• a program transferring part for transferring the control program to the image processing controller,
• the image processing controller comprising:
• a program storing part for holding the control program transmitted from the program creation apparatus;
• a program executing part for repeatedly executing the control program with a flow from the start symbol to the end symbol on the flowchart taken as a measurement cycle;
• a first history information accumulating part for extracting a result of the measurement in each of the processing units, executed by the program executing part, as history information in each of the measurement cycles and holding the extracted result in association with the processing unit and the measurement cycle;
• a second history information accumulating part for extracting the camera image, acquired from the camera by the program executing part during execution of the control program, as history information in each of the measurement cycles and holding the extracted image in association with the measurement cycle;
• and
• a history displaying part for displaying, on the display, history information held in the first history information accumulating part and the second history information accumulating part,
• wherein the history displaying part displays, on the camera image, the measurement result held in association with a processing unit selected by an operation of the operational unit based upon the parameter of the processing unit.

A test support system, comprising:

• a camera which photographs an object to be tested, to generate a camera image;
• the image processing controller which extracts a measurement result from the camera image, and determines the quality of the object to be tested based upon this measurement result, to output a determination signal;
• and
• a program creation apparatus which creates a control program for the image processing controller,
• the program creation apparatus having
• a processing unit storing part for holding two or more processing units that show image processing where a parameter is changeable,
• a flowchart displaying part for displaying, on an edition screen, a flowchart generated by arranging the processing units on an execution flow that is started with a start symbol and completed with an end symbol,
• a program generating part for generating a control program for the image processing controller based upon the flowchart, and
• a program transferring part for transferring the control program to the image processing controller, wherein
• the image processing controller includes
• a program storing part for holding the control program transmitted from the program creation apparatus,
• a program executing part for repeatedly executing the control program with a flow from the start symbol to the end symbol on the flowchart taken as a measurement cycle,
• a first history information accumulating part for extracting a result of the measurement in each of the processing units, executed by the program executing part, as history information in each of the measurement cycles and holding the extracted result in association with the processing unit and the measurement cycle,
• a second history information accumulating part for extracting the camera image, acquired from the camera by the program executing part during execution of the control program, as history information in each of the measurement cycles and holding the extracted image in association with the measurement cycle, and
• a history information transferring part for transferring history information held in the first history information accumulating part and the second history information accumulating part to the program creation apparatus,
• the program creation apparatus includes
• a history information storing part for holding the history information transferred from the image processing controller, and
• a history displaying part for displaying the history information on the edition screen, and
• the history displaying part displays, on the camera image, the measurement result in association with a processing unit selected on the flowchart based upon the parameter of the processing unit.