Apparatus for counting color transitions and areas in real time camera images
AssigneeChromaVision Medical Systems, Inc.
InventorJose de la Torre-Bueno
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A color transition and area counting device for use in a machine vision system may include an input port for inputting a stream of pixels in a frame. The pixels in the frame with particular colors may be counted and stored by associated counters. The frame may be loaded simultaneously into four frame memories. Each frame memory may be read out in a different pattern, for example, horizontally, vertically, diagonally, and cross-diagonally. The number of valid color transitions detected in each of the four read out operations may be added to determine a transition count for the frame. The area count and transition count may be used to flag potentially defective objects examined by the system.
Claims40
Apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of transition counting channels, each transition counting channel including:
- a frame memory to store a frame including a plurality of pixels, each pixel having a color value, wherein the frame memories in the plurality of transition counting channels all contain the same frame;
- a read out circuit to read out the pixels in the frame memory in a particular pattern, each of said read out circuits adapted to read out the pixels in said same frame in a different pattern, at least one pattern being other than a horizontal or vertical pattern;
- and
- a transition counter to count and store a number of transitions between two colors detected in a string comprising a plurality of said pixels.
Apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of transition counting channels, each transition counting channel including:
- a frame memory to store a frame including a plurality of pixels, each pixel having a color value;
- a read out circuit to read out the pixels in the frame memory in a particular pattern, each of said read out circuits adapted to read out the pixels in a different pattern;
- and
- a transition counter to count and store a number of transitions between two colors detected in a string comprising a plurality of said pixels, wherein the pixels may have one of eight keyed colors, and wherein each transition counter includes twenty-eight counters.
Apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of transition counting channels, each transition counting channel including:
- a frame memory to store a frame including a plurality of pixels, each pixel having a color value;
- a read out circuit to read out the pixels in the frame memory in a particular pattern, each of said read out circuits adapted to read out the pixels in a different pattern, at least one pattern being other than a horizontal or vertical pattern;
- a transition counter to count and store a number of transitions between two colors detected in a string comprising a plurality of said pixels;
- and
- a memory for storing the start point coordinates and a length of each of a plurality of diagonal segments, and a counter for counting out the length of each diagonal segment.
A system comprising:
- a camera to image an object;
- a digitizer connected to the camera to digitize the image into a frame comprising a plurality of pixels, each pixel having a color value;
- a color counter comprising:
- an input port to receive a stream of pixels in the frame from the digitizer;
- a dot clock to produce a clocking signal at a rate corresponding to a rate at which pixels are input to counter;
- and
- a plurality of transition counting channels, each channel including
- a frame memory to store the frame, wherein the frame memories in the plurality of transition counting channels all contain the same frame,
- an output address generator to read out the pixels in the frame memory in a particular pattern, each of said output address generators adapted to read out the pixels in said same frame in a different pattern, at least one pattern being other than a horizontal or vertical pattern, and
- a transition counter to count and store a number of transitions between two colors detected in a string comprising a plurality of said pixels at the dot clock rate.
A method comprising:
- storing a frame in a plurality of frame memories, said frame comprising a plurality of pixels having color values;
- wherein said plurality of frame memories all contain the same frame
- outputting the pixels from said same frame in each frame memory in a different pattern, at least one pattern being other than a horizontal or vertical pattern;
- determining a number of transitions between two colors in a string of pixels for each frame memory;
- and
- adding the number of transitions between the two colors.
An apparatus including instructions residing on a machine-readable medium for use in a vision system for counting color transitions in an image, the instructions causing the machine to:
- store a frame in a plurality of frame memories, said frame comprising a plurality of pixels having color values;
- wherein said plurality of frame memories all contain the same frame
- output the pixels from said same in each frame memory in a different pattern, at least one pattern being other than a horizontal or vertical pattern;
- determine a number of transitions between two colors in a string of pixels for each frame memory;
- and
- add the number of transitions between the two colors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.