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US 9,451,810 B2Granted
Automated identification of shoe parts
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsPatrick Conall Regan, Chang-Chu Liao, Chih-Chi Chang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Manufacturing of a shoe or a portion of a shoe is enhanced by automated placement of shoe parts. For example, a part-recognition system analyzes an image of a shoe part to identify the part and determine a location of the part. Once the part is identified and located, the part can be manipulated in an automated manner.
Claims20
A method for positioning a shoe part in an automated manner during a shoe-manufacturing process, the method comprising:
- positioning an attachment shoe part which is to be attached to a base shoe part;
- recording a first image of the attachment shoe part using at least one first camera, the first image depicting a two-dimensional representation of the attachment shoe part;
- recording a second image of the base shoe part using at least one second camera, the second image depicting a two-dimensional representation of the base shoe part;
- identifying at least one reference feature of the attachment shoe part in the first image depicting the two-dimensional representation of the attachment shoe part;
- determining an identity of the attachment shoe part from the first image by matching the at least one reference feature of the first image to at least one pre-determined reference feature of a shoe-part reference image;
- determining a first geometric coordinate of the attachment shoe part in a geometric coordinate system, which maps a three-dimensional space within which a part-transfer apparatus operates, from the first image;
- determining an orientation of the attachment shoe part from the first image;
- determining a second geometric coordinate of the base shoe part in the geometric coordinate system by analyzing the second image depicting the two-dimensional representation of the base shoe part;
- determining a degree of rotation of the attachment shoe part required for alignment with the base shoe part for attachment;
- and
- transferring, by the part-transfer apparatus, the attachment shoe part from the first geometric coordinate to the second geometric coordinate through the degree of rotation so that the attachment shoe part is aligned with the base shoe part for attachment.
8 more elements
A system that positions a shoe part in an automated manner during a shoe-manufacturing process, the system comprising:
- at least one image recorder that records a first image of an attachment shoe part and a second image of a base shoe part, the first image depicting a two-dimensional representation of the attachment shoe part and the second image depicting a two dimensional representation of the base shoe part;
- computer storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to:
- identify at least one reference feature of the two-dimensional representation of the attachment shoe part to determine an identity of the attachment shoe part by matching the at least one reference feature to at least one predetermined reference feature of a shoe-part reference image;
- determine a first geometric coordinate of the attachment shoe part in a geometric coordinate system, which maps a three-dimensional space within which the attachment shoe part is positioned and a part-transfer apparatus operates, from the first image;
- determine an orientation of the attachment shoe part from the first image and determine a degree of rotation of the attachment shoe part required for alignment with the base shoe part for attachment;
- and
- determine a second geometric coordinate of the base shoe part in the geometric coordinate system by analyzing the second image of the base shoe part;
- and
- the part-transfer apparatus, wherein the part transfer apparatus is configured to:
- receive the first geometric coordinate and the second geometric coordinate;
- and
- transfer the attachment shoe part from the first geometric coordinate to the second geometric coordinate through the degree of rotation so the attachment shoe part is aligned with the base shoe part for attachment.
9 more elements
A method for positioning a shoe part in an automated manner during a shoe-manufacturing process, the method comprising:
- providing an attachment shoe part and a base shoe part;
- recording a first image of the attachment shoe part using at least one camera, the first image depicting a two-dimensional representation of the attachment shoe part;
- recording a second image of the base shoe part using at least one camera, the second image depicting a two-dimensional representation of the base shoe part;
- identifying at least one reference feature of the attachment shoe part in the two-dimensional representation of the attachment shoe part;
- determining an identity of the attachment shoe part from the first image by matching the at least one reference feature of the first image with at least one pre-determined reference feature of a shoe-part reference image;
- determining a first geometric coordinate of the attachment shoe part in a geometric coordinate system, which maps a three-dimensional space within which a part-transfer apparatus operates, from the first image;
- determining an orientation of the attachment shoe part from the first image;
- determining a second geometric coordinate of the base shoe part in the geometric coordinate system by analyzing the second image depicting the two dimensional representation of the base shoe part;
- determining a degree of rotation of the attachment shoe part required for alignment with the base shoe part from the first image and the second image;
- transferring, by the part-transfer apparatus, the attachment shoe part from the first geometric coordinate to the second geometric coordinate through the degree of rotation so the attachment shoe part is aligned with the base shoe part for attachment;
- and
- attaching the attachment shoe part to the base shoe part at the second geometric coordinate.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.