Smart camera

A method for controlling a first and a second actuator, comprising:

• storing a first and a second program of instructions on a host computer;
• linking the host computer to a first control module and a smart camera module;
• coupling the first control module to the first actuator and the smart camera module to the second actuator;
• retrieving the first program of instructions from the host computer and loading it into the first control module;
• retrieving the second program of instructions from the host computer and loading it into the smart camera module;
• obtaining images with the smart camera module;
• processing the images in accordance with the second program of instructions at the smart camera module;
• controlling the first actuator with the first control module;
• and
• controlling the second actuator with the smart camera module based upon said images and said second programs;
• checking state information for errors at least twice during a time interval,
• wherein said smart camera module maintains an in-page data block containing a set of desired control states from the host computer and an out-page data block containing the current state of all variables maintained with the smart camera module;
• and
• wherein the at least two error checks include a checksum on data integrity of the in-page data block and the out-page data block and a recirculating message sequence number used to verify message order integrity.

A method for distributed machine control, comprising:

• storing a first and a second program of instructions on a host computer;
• linking the host computer to a first control module;
• linking the first control module to a smart camera module;
• coupling the first control module to a first actuator and the smart camera module to a second actuator;
• retrieving the first program of instructions from the host computer and loading it into the first control module;
• retrieving the second program of instructions from the host computer and loading it into the smart camera module;
• obtaining images with the smart camera module;
• controlling the first actuator with the first control module;
• controlling the second actuator with the smart camera module based upon said images and said second program;
• and
• checking state information for errors at least twice during a time interval,
• wherein said smart camera module maintains an in-page data block containing a set of desired control states from the host computer and an out-page data block containing the current state of all variables maintained with the smart camera module;
• and
• wherein the at least two error checks include a checksum on data integrity of the in-page data block and the out-page data block and a recirculating message sequence number used to verify message order integrity.

An apparatus for controlling an actuator, comprising:

• a host computer;
• means for storing a program of instructions on the host computer;
• means for linking the host computer to a smart camera module, the smart camera module including means for acquiring image data;
• means for coupling the smart camera module to the actuator;
• means for retrieving the program of instructions from the host computer and
• loading it into the smart camera module, the program of instructions including instructions for processing the image data;
• means for controlling the actuator with the smart camera module;
• and
• means for checking state information for errors at least twice during a time interval,
• wherein said smart camera module maintains an in-page data block containing a set of desired control states from the host computer and an out-page data block containing the current state of all variables maintained with the smart camera module;
• and
• wherein the at least two error checks include a checksum on data integrity of the in-page data block and the out-page data block and a recirculating message sequence number used to verify message order integrity.

An apparatus for controlling a first and a second actuator, comprising:

• a host computer;
• means for storing a first and a second program of instructions on the host computer;
• means for linking the host computer to a first control module and a smart camera module, the smart camera module including means for acquiring image data;
• means for coupling the first control module to the first actuator and the smart camera module to the second actuator;
• means for retrieving the first program of instructions from the host computer and loading it into the first control module;
• means for retrieving the second program of instructions from the host computer and loading it into the smart camera module, the second program including instructions for processing the image data;
• means for controlling the first actuator with the first control module;
• means for controlling the second actuator with the smart camera module;
• and
• means for checking state information for errors at least twice during a time interval,
• wherein said smart camera module maintains an in-page data block containing a set of desired control states from the host computer and an out-page data block containing the current state of all variables maintained with the smart camera module;
• and
• wherein the at least two error checks include a checksum on data integrity of the in-page data block and the out-page data block and a recirculating message sequence number used to verify message order integrity.

An apparatus for distributed machine control, comprising:

• a host computer;
• means for storing a first and a second program of instructions on the host computer;
• means for linking the host computer to a first control module;
• means for linking the first control module to a smart camera module, the smart camera module including means for acquiring image data;
• means for coupling the first control module to a first actuator and the smart camera module to a second actuator;
• means for retrieving the first program of instructions from the host computer and loading it into the first control module;
• means for retrieving the second program of instructions from the host computer and loading it into the smart camera module, the second program including instructions for processing the image data;
• means for controlling the first actuator with the first control module;
• means for controlling the second actuator with the smart camera module;
• and
• means for checking state information for errors at least twice during a time interval,
• wherein said smart camera module maintains an in-page data block containing a set of desired control states from the host computer and an out-page data block containing the current state of all variables maintained with the smart camera module;
• and
• wherein the at least two error checks include a checksum on data integrity of the in-page data block and the out-page data block and a recirculating messaae sequence number used to verify message order integrity.

A method for controlling an actuator, comprising:

• storing a program of instructions on a host computer;
• linking the host computer to a smart camera module;
• coupling the smart camera module to the actuator;
• retrieving the program of instructions from the host computer and loading it into the smart camera module;
• acquiring image data with the smart camera module;
• processing the image data with the smart camera module;
• controlling the actuator with the smart camera module;
• sending state information reflecting a state of the smart camera module from the smart camera module to the host computer repeatedly at fixed time intervals;
• storing the state information in memory of the host computer between said fixed time intervals;
• and
• checking the state information for errors at least twice during each said time interval,
• wherein said smart camera module maintains an in-page data block containing a set of desired control states from the host computer and an out-page data block containing the current state of all variables maintained with the smart camera module;
• and
• wherein the at least two error checks include a checksum on data integrity of the in-page data block and the out-page data block and a recirculating message sequence number used to verify message order integrity.

An apparatus for controlling an actuator, comprising:

• a host computer;
• means for storing a program of instructions on the host computer;
• a smart camera including an image sensor for acquiring image data;
• means for linking the host computer to said smart camera module;
• means for coupling said smart camera module to the actuator;
• means for retrieving the program of instructions from the host computer and loading it into said smart camera module, the program including instructions for processing the image data;
• means for controlling the actuator with said smart camera module;
• means for sending state information reflecting a state of said smart camera module from said smart camera module to the host computer repeatedly at fixed time intervals;
• means for storing the state information in memory of the host computer between said fixed time intervals;
• and
• means for checking the state information for errors at least twice during each said time interval,
• wherein said smart camera module maintains an in-page data block containing a set of desired control states from the host computer and an out-page data block containing the current state of all variables maintained with the smart camera module;
• and
• wherein the at least two error checks include a checksum on data integrity of the in-page data block and the out-page data block and a recirculating message sequence number used to verify message order integrity.