Facilitating anomaly detection for a product having a pattern

A system for facilitating detection of at least one anomaly in a representation of a product having a pattern, the system comprising:

• means for receiving image data representing the product during processing of the product;
• means for identifying from the image data generally similar images representing respective instances of a repeated aspect of the pattern, each of the images including image element values;
• means for generating a set of corresponding image element values, said set including an image element value from each of the images;
• means for identifying at least one image element value from the set of corresponding image element values to be excluded from a subset of the set of corresponding image element values;
• means for generating at least one criterion based on the subset of the set of corresponding image element values;
• and
• means for causing the at least one criterion to be used to facilitate identification of the at least one anomaly.

An apparatus for facilitating detection of at least one anomaly in a representation of a product having a pattern, the apparatus comprising at least one processor configured to:

• receive image data representing the product during processing of the product;
• identify from the image data generally similar images representing respective instances of a repeated aspect of the pattern, each of the images including image element values;
• generate a set of corresponding image element values, said set including an image element value from each of the images;
• identify at least one image element value from the set of corresponding image element values to be excluded from a subset of the set of corresponding image element values;
• generate at least one criterion based on the subset of the set of corresponding image element values;
• and
• cause the at least one criterion to be used to facilitate identification of the at least one anomaly.

A computer readable medium having stored thereon codes which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

• receive image data representing the product during processing of the product;
• identify from the image data generally similar images representing respective instances of a repeated aspect of the pattern, each of the images including image element values;
• generate a set of corresponding image element values, said set including an image element value from each of the images;
• identify at least one image element value from the set of corresponding image element values to be excluded from a subset of the set of corresponding image element values;
• generate at least one criterion based on the subset of the set of corresponding image element values;
• and
• cause the at least one criterion to be used to facilitate identification of the at least one anomaly.