Method and apparatus for displaying an image of a sheet material and cutting parts from the sheet material
AssigneeGerber Technology, Inc.
InventorJames S. Herman, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for acquiring image data of a plurality of portions of a sheet material calibrating the acquired image data of each portion to address any pincushioning distortions, aligning the calibrated images to form a composite and displaying the composite image to an operator. The system employs a camera that is translated with a cutting assembly and a program for calibrating acquired image data to provide for tiling of captured images.
Claims21
A method for displaying an image of a sheet material and for cutting parts from the sheet material comprising the steps of:
- presenting a sheet material on a support surface;
- providing a camera for acquiring a plurality of photographic image data frames, each frame being an image of an areal portion of the sheet material, each frame represented by a plurality of pixels in an X direction and a perpendicular Y direction;
- modifying each acquired image data frame to correct distortions of the acquired image of the areal portion;
- compiling the image data frames to form a composite photographic image of the areal portions of the sheet material;
- displaying the composite image;
- locating at least one part with respect to the composite image;
- and
- cutting the part from the sheet material.
A method for displaying an image of a sheet material and for cutting parts from the sheet material comprising the steps of:
- presenting a sheet material on a support surface;
- providing a camera for acquiring a plurality of photographic image data frames, each frame being an image of an areal portion of the sheet material, each frame represented by a plurality of pixels in an X direction and a perpendicular Y direction;
- modifying each acquired image data frame to correct for image distortions of the acquired image of the areal portion;
- incorporating flaw identification data in the image data frames;
- calibrating a brightness of the acquired image data frames;
- compiling the image data frames to form a composite photographic image of the areal portions of the sheet material;
- displaying the composite image;
- identifying at least a portion of a periphery of the sheet material;
- nesting a part periphery with respect to the composite image;
- and
- cutting the part from the sheet material in accordance with said nesting.
An apparatus for cutting parts from a sheet material comprising:
- a support surface for supporting a sheet material;
- a cutting assembly coupled to the support surface for movement with respect to the support surface;
- a camera for obtaining photographic image data of a sheet material on the support surface, the camera coupled to the cutting assembly for movement with the cutting assembly, the camera selected to obtain the image data in a plurality of frames, each frame including a plurality of pixels in an X direction and a plurality of pixels in a perpendicular Y direction;
- and
- a processor having storage means coupled to the camera and cutting assembly;
- means for calibrating said image data frames;
- means for combining said calibrated image data frames to obtain a composite photographic image of at least a portion of the sheet material;
- and
- a display coupled to the processor for displaying said composite image.
A method of acquiring image data from a sheet material, comprising:
- presenting a sheet material on a support surface;
- moving a camera with respect to the support surface to capture a plurality of photographic images of portions of the sheet material, each image including a plurality of pixels in an X direction and a plurality of pixels in a perpendicular Y direction;
- modifying each said image to correct distortions therein;
- and
- compiling said modified images to form a composite photographic image of a portion of the sheet material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.