US 8,271,895 B2Granted

GUI for programming step and repeat operations in a machine vision inspection system

AssigneeMitutoyo Corporation

InventorsEric Yeh-Wei Tseo, Dahai Yu, Ryan Northrup

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A method is provided for programming step and repeat operations of a machine vision inspection system. The machine vision inspection system includes an imaging portion, a stage for holding one or more workpieces in a field of view (FOV) of the imaging portion, a control portion, and a graphical user interface (GUI). According to the method, a user operates the machine vision inspection system to define a set of inspection operations to be performed on a first configuration of workpiece features. The user also operates the GUI to display a step and repeat dialog box, in which he defines a first plurality of parameters defining a set of default step and repeat locations for performing the defined set of inspection operations. The user further operates the GUI to define a set of inspection step and repeat locations, which is a subset of the defined set of default step and repeat locations, where the inspection operations are to be actually performed.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method for programming step and repeat operations of a machine vision inspection system, the machine vision inspection system including an imaging portion, a stage for holding one or more workpieces in a field of view (FOV) of the imaging portion, a control portion, and a graphical user interface (GUI), the method comprising:

operating the machine vision inspection system to define a set of inspection operations to be performed on a first configuration of workpiece features;
operating the GUI to display a step and repeat dialog box, the step and repeat dialog box comprising a first plurality of parameters defining a set of default step and repeat locations for performing the set of inspection operations on corresponding instances of the first configuration of workpiece features;
operating the GUI to define the first plurality of parameters in the displayed step and repeat dialog box in order to define the set of default step and repeat locations, to thereby display a graphical representation of the members of the defined set of default step and repeat locations in the GUI;
operating the GUI to define a set of inspection step and repeat locations which is a subset of the set of default step and repeat locations;
and
recording the set of inspection step and repeat locations in a part program to be used for inspecting a plurality of instances of the first configuration of workpiece features;
wherein operating the GUI to define a set of inspection step and repeat locations further comprises:
indicating at least one member to be excluded in the graphical representation of the members of the defined set of default step and repeat locations displayed in the GUI;
and
defining the set of inspection step and repeat locations to be the set of default step and repeat locations less the indicated at least one member to be excluded, to thereby display a graphical representation of the members of the defined set of inspection step and repeat locations in the GUI, and
wherein the members of the set of default step and repeat locations and the members of the set of inspection step and repeat locations are represented by individual widgets in their graphical displays, and the excluded members are represented by one of altered widgets and empty spaces.

8 more elements

A machine vision inspection system including an imaging portion, a stage for holding one or more workpieces in a field of view (FOV) of the imaging portion, a control portion, and a graphical user interface (GUI), the control portion including a computer-executable program that causes the GUI to allow a user to perform the steps comprising:

operating the GUI to define a set of inspection operations to be performed on a first configuration of workpiece features;
operating the GUI to display a step and repeat dialog box, the step and repeat dialog box comprising a first plurality of parameters defining a set of default step and repeat locations for performing the set of inspection operations on corresponding instances of the first configuration of workpiece features;
operating the GUI to define the first plurality of parameters in the displayed step and repeat dialog box in order to define the set of default step and repeat locations, to thereby display a graphical representation of the members of the defined set of default step and repeat locations in the GUI;
operating the GUI to define a set of inspection step and repeat locations which is a subset of the set of default step and repeat locations;
and
recording the set of inspection step and repeat locations in a part program to be used for inspecting a plurality of instances of the first configuration of workpiece features;
wherein operating the GUI to define a set of inspection step and repeat locations further comprises:
indicating at least one member to be excluded in the graphical representation of the members of the defined set of default step and repeat locations displayed in the GUI;
and
defining the set of inspection step and repeat locations to be the set of default step and repeat locations less the indicated at least one member to be excluded, to thereby display a graphical representation of the members of the defined set of inspection step and repeat locations in the GUI, and
wherein the members of the set of default step and repeat locations and the members of the set of inspection step and repeat locations are represented by individual widgets in their graphical displays, and the excluded members are represented by one of altered widgets and empty spaces.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/729,105Filed 22 Mar 2010
Published: US 2011/0231787 A122 Sep 2011
Granted: 18 Sep 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G05B 19/409
Numerical control [NC], i.e. automatically operating machines, in particular machine tools, e.g. in a manufacturing environment, so as to…
G05B 2219/37208
Measurements: vision, visual inspection of workpiece
G05B 2219/37223
Measurements: identify minimum number of appropriate measuring points
G05B 2219/37439
Measurements: computer assisted inspection, cad interactive with manual commands