System and method for automatically recovering video tools in a vision system

A computer readable medium usable in a precision machine vision inspection system, the medium comprising computer instructions to execute a routine for automatically recovering a failed video tool in the precision machine vision inspection system, wherein the video tool fails based on an initial set of feature inspection parameters used for acquiring a workpiece feature image and operating the video tool to inspect the workpiece feature in the image,

• the routine comprising:
• (a) upon detecting the video tool failure, evaluating at least one feature inspection parameter based on an analysis of the workpiece feature image;
• (b) for the at least one feature inspection parameter evaluated based on the analysis of the workpiece feature image, determining whether the feature inspection parameter falls within a predefined acceptable range for that feature inspection parameter;
• and
• (c) if in step (b) it is determined that the feature inspection parameter falls outside the predefined acceptable range, automatically adjusting at least one member of the initial set of feature inspection parameters to provide a replacement set of feature inspection parameters that cause the video tool to operate successfully.

A precision machine vision inspection system comprising:

• (a) a video tool, wherein the initial operation of the video tool when inspecting a workpiece is based on an initial set of feature inspection parameters used for acquiring a workpiece feature image and operating the video tool to inspect the workpiece feature in the image, and a video tool failure may occur during the initial operation;
• (b) an automatic tool recovery routine comprising computer executable instructions for performing the steps of:
• (i) upon detecting the video tool failure, evaluating at least one feature inspection parameter based on an analysis of the workpiece feature image;
• (ii) for the at least one feature inspection parameter evaluated based on the analysis of the workpiece feature image, determining whether the feature inspection parameter falls within a predefined acceptable range for that feature inspection parameter;
• and
• (iii) if in step (ii) it is determined that the feature inspection parameter falls outside the predefined acceptable range, automatically adjusting at least one member of the initial set of feature inspection parameters to provide a replacement set of feature inspection parameters that cause the video tool to operate successfully;
• and
• (c) a user interface for permitting a user to define the automatic tool recovery routine.