Handheld apparatus for quantifying component features
AssigneeCognex Corporation
InventorsMichael C. Moed, Carl W. Gerst, III
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A handheld device and method using the device, the device comprising a sensor receiving light from within a field of view (FOV) to generate a plurality of consecutive images of the FOV, a structured light source that is controllable to generate a plurality of light patterns, the source arranged to project at least one light patterns into the FOV where at least a portion of a pattern reflects from an object and is captured by the sensor and a processor to receive images, the processor programmed to control the source to project a pattern into the FOV, locate the pattern in at least one of the generated images, locate discontinuities in the pattern and use the discontinuities to measure at least one dimension.
Claims20
A handheld device for determining at least one dimension of an object, the device comprising:
- a housing structure;
- a sensor mounted to the housing structure, the sensor receiving light from within a sensor field of view (FOV) to generate a plurality of images of the sensor FOV;
- a light source that is controllable to generate a plurality of light patterns, the light source mounted to the housing structure for movement along with the sensor and arranged to project generated light patterns into the sensor FOV for imaging by the sensor;
- and
- a processor linked to the sensor to receive images of the sensor FOV generated by the sensor, the processor being configured to:
- control the light source to project a first light pattern into the sensor FOV;
- identify the first light pattern in at least one of the images;
- determine a second light pattern to be projected by the light source, based on analyzing the first light pattern in the at least one of the images, wherein the second light pattern is not mechanically pre-determined and is not determined based on a light-pattern sequence that is pre-stored in memory;
- and
- measure the at least one dimension of the object based on analysis of at least one of the first light pattern or the second light pattern.
A handheld device for determining at least one dimension of an object, the handheld device comprising:
- a sensor secured to a housing structure, the sensor receiving light from within a sensor field of view (FOV) to generate a plurality of images of the sensor FOV;
- a light source that is controllable to generate a plurality of light patterns, the light source being secured to the housing structure for movement along with the sensor and arranged to project generated light patterns into the sensor FOV for imaging by the sensor;
- and
- a processor linked to the sensor to receive images of the sensor FOV generated by the sensor, the processor being configured to:
- control the light source to project a first light pattern into the sensor FOV;
- identify the first light pattern in a first image of the plurality of images;
- identify at least one feature of the object based on analysis of the first light pattern;
- based on the analysis of the first light pattern, determine a second light pattern to be projected by the light source;
- identify the second light pattern in a second image of the plurality of images;
- and
- measure at least one aspect of the object based on analysis of the second light pattern in the second image;
- wherein the second light pattern is not mechanically pre-determined and is not determined based on a light-pattern sequence stored in memory.
A method for use with a handheld device for determining at least one dimension of an object, the handheld device including an image sensor having a field of view (FOV) and an illuminator mounted to a portable housing so that the image sensor and illuminator are movable as a single unit, the method comprising the steps of:
- using a processor in the handheld device to perform the steps of:
- projecting a first light pattern into the sensor FOV while an object is located within the sensor FOV;
- obtaining an image of the sensor FOV;
- identifying the first light pattern in a first obtained image;
- analyzing the first light pattern to identify a second light pattern that may be better suited to measure the at least one dimension of the object, wherein identifying the second light pattern is not mechanically predetermined or electronically predetermined;
- controlling the illuminator to project the second light pattern into the sensor FOV while a second image is obtained;
- identifying the second light pattern in the second image;
- and
- analyzing the second light pattern to measure the at least one dimension of the object in the sensor FOV.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.