US 5,311,977 AGranted

High resolution parts handling system

OwnerArthur L. Dean, Randy K. Baird +2inventors

InventorsArthur L. Dean, Randy K. Baird, Stanley P. Turcheck, Jr., James P. Martin

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Abstract

A high resolution article handling system serves as an article discriminator or identifier by creating an object silhouette. The objects are singulated on a conveyor and scanned by a linear array of CCD units (2048 pixels per inch) at a scan rate of 10 MHz. Pixel transitions corresponding to object edge points are converted to a single count value from a counter which is synchronized with the scanner. A microprocessor with a first in, first out buffer memory needs only a capacity to handle the count value rather than all data from the pixels. Article orientation is corrected in response to signal generated by determining the count value difference between a reference value and a work article value at only the scan slice windows at equally spaced positions along the article length where differences have been predetermined to be a maximum.

Claims2

Dependent claims

A high resolution handling systems for article orientation determined by geometric inspection and reorientation responsive to an output signal from a microprocessor, the high resolution handling system comprising:

means for conveying singulated work articles of like size and shape in a plurality of possible orientations along a path adjacent an article sensor responsive to article geometry;
said article sensor having at least 1000 pixels in a linear array that are oriented to be illuminated or shadowed depending on article geometry;
scanning means for producing an analog signal from said pixels during each scan period;
means responsive to article position as the article advances along said article conveying path for generating a master reset pulse that is used for initiating each scan at equidistant spacings even though conveyor speed may vary;
an analog to digital conversion means for producing digital data transitions at edge points of said article profile during each scan;
means for sensing data transitions for creating learned article geometry information data as part of a setting up procedure;
a memory for storing said learned article data;
means including a microprocessor for comparing learned article geometry information data from said memory with corresponding work article geometry information data in real time;
said microprocessor including an automatic windowing system allowing an increased rate of processing by comparing fewer than all scans along the article length which comprises, means for generating a signal related to the article profile of a reference article in at least first and second different orientations as part of the setting up procedure, means for comparing said signals corresponding to different orientations to generate a scanned slice position signal at a scanned slice where the article edge points of corresponding scanned slices have a major difference that distinguishes the first orientation from the second orientation as part of the setting up procedure, means to identify and store said scanned slice position where said major difference exists as part of the setting up procedure, and means for determining in real time as part of the operating procedure the orientation of a work article on said conveyor which includes said means for generating a signal related to a work article profile, means for examining said work article profile signal at said identified scan slice portion and means responsive to a comparison of said examined signal and a signal previously stored at said identified scan slice position for producing an output signal that is used to control an article orienting means;
and
said article orienting means for orienting articles in response to an output signal from the comparing means.

8 more elements

A high resolution article handling system having means for interfacing with an article, said interfacing means responsive to an output signal from a microprocessor, the high resolution article handling system comprising:

means for conveying singulated articles along a path adjacent an article sensor;
said article sensor having at least 1000 pixels in a linear array, said article sensor pixels oriented to be selectively illuminated or shadowed depending on article geometry;
scanning means for creating a scan by producing an analog signal from said pixels during each scan;
means responsive to article position as the article advances along said article conveying path for generating a master reset pulse used for initiating each scan;
an analog-to-digital conversion means for producing digital data transitions at edge points of said article profile during each scan;
means for creating learned article data by sensing data transitions;
a memory for storing said learned article data;
means for creating article data by sensing data transitions;
means including a microprocessor for comparing learned article data from said memory with correspondent work article data in real time;
said microprocessor including an automatic windowing system allowing an increased rate of processing by comparing fewer than all scans along the article length which comprises means for comparing said learned article and said work article to generate a scanned slice position signal at a scanned slice where the article edge points of corresponding scanned slices have a major difference that distinguishes the learned article from the work article, means to identify and store said scanned slice positions where said major differences exist, and means for determining in real time as part of the operating procedure the conformance of a work article on said conveyor to said learned article data which includes said means for generating a signal related to a work article profile, means for examining said work article profile signal at said identified scan slices and means responsive to a comparison of said examined signal and a signal previously stored at said identified scan slice position for producing an output signal that is used to control said article diverting means;
and
means for mechanically interfacing with said work article in response to an output signal from the comparing means.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.