Vision system with swappable camera having an alignment indicator, and methods of making and using the same
AssigneeCognex Corporation
InventorsWilliam H. Equitz, Paul Burrell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Vision systems including a swappable camera and methods of making and using the swappable camera are disclosed. The swappable camera can include an alignment indicator storing alignment data representative of an array-housing alignment of a sensor array relative to a camera housing. The swappable camera can have a desired sensor array position. A region of interest that is concentric with the desired sensor array position can be determined using the alignment data and an image can be acquired using only pixels of the sensor array that are located within the region of interest.
Claims22
A vision system comprising:
- an image processor;
- and
- a swappable camera including a camera housing and an optical arrangement,
- the optical arrangement comprising a sensor array,
- the sensor array electronically coupled to the image processor,
- the swappable camera including an alignment indicator storing alignment data representative of an array-housing alignment of the sensor array relative to the camera housing,
- the image processor determines a region of interest of the sensor array using the alignment data,
- the image processor determines the region of interest by a process that includes maximizing a size of the region of interest within the sensor array to overlap with a concentric region of a desired sensor array position, and
- the image processor acquires an image of an image target using an auto-aligned mode wherein the image is acquired using only pixels located within the region of interest of the sensor array.
A method of replacing a first swappable camera with a second swappable camera, the second swappable camera comprising a camera housing, a sensor array, and an alignment indicator storing alignment data representative of an array-housing alignment of the sensor array relative to a desired sensor array position within the camera housing, the sensor array is offset by at least one pixel from the desired sensor array position, the method comprising:
- removing the first swappable camera;
- positioning the second swappable camera with a location and orientation of the first swappable camera prior to the removing;
- determining a region of interest that is concentric with the desired sensor array position using the alignment data, wherein determining the region of interest includes maximizing a size of the region of interest within the sensor array to overlap with a concentric region of the desired sensor array position;
- and
- acquiring an image using only pixels of the sensor array that are located within the region-of-interest.
A method of making a swappable camera comprising a camera housing having a desired sensor array location, the method comprising:
- positioning a sensor array within the camera housing;
- measuring an alignment of the sensor array relative to the desired sensor array location;
- determining a region of interest that is concentric with the desired sensor array location, wherein determining the region of interest includes maximizing a size of the region of interest within the sensor array to overlap with a concentric region of the desired sensor array location;
- and
- recording the alignment as alignment data to an alignment indicator of the swappable camera,
- wherein positioning the sensor array within the camera housing is performed in a manufacturing process that positions the sensor array within the camera housing with a manufacturing variance of at least 50 μm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.