Stand-alone inspection apparatus for use in a manufacturing facility

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11879751-B2
Application number	US-202017087936-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2020
Priority date	Nov 3, 2020
Publication date	Jan 23, 2024
Grant date	Jan 23, 2024

Abstract

An inspection apparatus includes a portable housing and at least one handle structure integrally formed with the portable housing. The inspection apparatus further includes a vision data system, a lighting system, a user interface system, a wireless communication system, and a controller. The vision data system includes one or more cameras provided on the first face of the portable housing. The vision data system is operable to capture component data. The lighting system is arranged with the vision data system at the first face. The lighting system includes diffused light emitting diode (LED) ring arranged around at least one of the one or more cameras. The manufacturing inspection apparatus is a stand-alone and all-in-one computing device. The manufacturing inspection apparatus processes and stores inspection data locally.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A manufacturing inspection apparatus comprising:
a portable housing having a first face and a second face opposite to the first face and defining an accessible cavity;
a vision data system including one or more cameras provided on the first face of the portable housing, wherein the vision data system is operable to capture at least images;
a lighting system arranged with the vision data system on the first face, wherein the lighting system includes a diffused light emitting diode (LED) ring arranged around at least one of the one or more cameras;
a user interface system comprising a touch-screen display provided at the second face of the portable housing and configured to receive an input from the user;
a wireless communication system disposed within the portable housing and configured to wirelessly communicate with an external device;
a controller housed in the cavity of the portable housing and communicably coupled to the vision data system, the lighting system, the user interface system, and the wireless communication system, wherein the controller is configured to process and generate inspection data based on the images from the vision data system as a stand-alone computing node; and
at least one handle structure integrally formed with the portable housing such that the handle structure is accessible to secure and carry the portable housing without covering the touch screen or the vision data system.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lighting system further includes a first light intensity control that includes a hardware switch to operate the diffused LED ring and a second light intensity control that includes an input interface provided on the touch-screen display and operable by a user to operate the diffused LED ring.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the vision data system comprises at least one of:
an infrared camera,
a monochrome camera having optical filters, or
a multi-chrome camera.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a battery system provided at the portable housing and configured to provide power to the controller, the lighting system, the vision data system, the user interface system, the wireless communication module, or a combination thereof, and
wherein the battery system includes a first battery that is attachable to and detachable from the portable housing and a second battery to provide supplementary power during a battery exchange of the first battery.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein:
the first battery of the battery system is a rechargeable battery that is configured to be chargeable while being attached to the portable housing and chargeable while being detached from the portable housing; and
the second battery of the battery system provides power while the first battery is being charged.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first battery and the second battery are disposed within the cavity of the portable housing.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of sensors disposed at the portable housing and communicably coupled to the controller, wherein the sensors includes an inertial measurement unit (IMU), a depth sensor, a light sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or a combination thereof.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a light sensor disposed at the portable housing and communicably coupled to the controller, wherein the light sensor detects intensity of light of a surrounding, and
wherein the controller is configured to adjust the diffused LED ring to compensate differences between the intensity of light of the surrounding and a selected threshold intensity of light selectable by the user by way of the user interface system.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
an inertial measurement unit (IMU) disposed at the portable housing and communicably coupled to the controller, wherein the IMU includes accelerometer, gyroscope, or magnetometer, or a combination thereof, and
wherein the controller is configured to determine an orientation of the portable housing based on data from the IMU and prompt to the user, via the user interface system, altering the orientation of the portable housing to capture the image with the vision data system in response to the orientation being misaligned with a desired orientation.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of depth sensors, wherein the portable housing further has a third face arranged between the first face and the second face, wherein the depth sensors are provided at the third face, the first face, or both of the portable housing, wherein the controller is configured to determine a distance between the apparatus and a reference point based on data from the depth sensors.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the reference point is on or adjacent to an object.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the vision data acquisition module comprises:
an infrared camera;
a monochrome camera having optical filters; and
a multi-chrome camera;
wherein the vision data acquisition module is configured to use different wavelengths of light output from the lighting module in an image or video acquisition process.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an environment sensor for measuring at least one of a temperature and a humidity, wherein the controller is configured to monitor environmental conditions about the inspection apparatus based on data from the environment sensor.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the user interface system further comprises an audio system having speakers and microphones disposed at the portable housing.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the portable housing further comprises a mounting interface to secure the portable housing to a support structure.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the lighting system is configured to provide different wavelengths of light as the vision data system captures the image.

17. A portable inspection apparatus comprising:
a housing including a handle structure, wherein the handle structure is integrally formed with the housing;
an on-board controller module housed in the housing and comprising a processor and a memory for storing instructions;
a vision data acquisition module arranged with the housing and configured to capture images;
a lighting module arranged adjacent to the vision data acquisition module with the housing and configured to adjust intensity of light for operation of the vision data acquisition module;
a sensor module disposed with the housing and comprising a light sensor, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and a distance sensor;
a user interface module disposed at the housing and configured to receive an input and display an output;
a wireless communication module; and
a battery module, wherein:
the on-board controller module is communicatively coupled to the vision data acquisition module, the lighting module, the sensor module, the user interface module, and the wireless communication module, and the on-board controller module is configured to:
process the image captured from the vision data acquisition module and generate inspection data as a stand-alone computing node without communication with and processing at a central node,
process measurement data from the sensor module to determine at least one of light intensity of surrounding, orientation, and distance between the housing an external reference point,
control intensity of light generated from the lighting modules based on the light intensity of the surrounding, control positi

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Sohmshetty Raj
• Mayberry Scott
• Rajendra Vikas
• Hoff Sam

Classifications

• G01D11/24 Primary

  Housings {; Casings for instruments} · CPC title

• G01D11/28

  Structurally-combined illuminating devices · CPC title

• G01D11/30

  Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments · CPC title

• G03B15/05 Primary

  Combinations of cameras with electronic flash apparatus; Electronic flash units · CPC title

• G03B2215/0514

  Separate unit · CPC title