Optical spray pattern imaging apparatus including permanently integrated light plane and image capture components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12160957-B2
Application number	US-202217974139-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 26, 2022
Priority date	May 3, 2019
Publication date	Dec 3, 2024
Grant date	Dec 3, 2024

Abstract

A pre-calibrated spray plane image acquisition device is described that includes, in a single fixed-form structure, both an image capture component configured to acquire an optical image of a field of view and a light plane generator configured to generate a planar light plane emitted from the pre-calibrated spray plane image acquisition device. A carrier frame structure includes rigid components for permanently maintaining the image capture component and the light plane generator in respective positions defining a permanent spatial relationship between the field of view of the image capture component and the light plane generated by the light plane generator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pre-calibrated spray plane image acquisition device comprising, in a single fixed-form structure:
an image capture component configured to acquire an optical image of a field of view;
a light plane generator configured to generate a planar light plane emitted from the pre-calibrated spray plane image acquisition device; and
a carrier frame structure comprising rigid components configured to permanently maintain the image capture component and the light plane generator in respective positions defining a permanent spatial relationship between the field of view of the image capture component and the light plane generated by the light plane generator,
wherein the permanent spatial relationship facilitates pre-calibrating image processing parameters before providing to a user of the image acquisition device, wherein the parameters facilitate both correcting an image distortion and a scaling of a spray pattern image generated by the image acquisition device during a spray application by a nozzle positioned in a physical relationship with the light plane such that spray particles emitted from the spray nozzle pass through the light plane while an initial image is acquired by the pre-calibrated spray plane image acquisition device.

2. The pre-calibrated spray plane image acquisition device of claim 1 , wherein the carrier frame structure comprises an outer case.

3. The pre-calibrated spray plane image acquisition device of claim 1 , wherein the pre-calibrating includes establishing a scale for distances within the field of view.

4. The pre-calibrated spray plane image acquisition device of claim 3 , wherein the pre-calibrating includes correction of individual portions of the field of view for image distortion arising from a lens of the image capture component.

5. The pre-calibrated spray plane image acquisition device of claim 1 , wherein the light plane generator comprises a laser.

Assignees

• Spraying Systems Co

Inventors

• Bade Kyle M
• Schick Rudolf J
• Mcdonough Philip A

Classifications

• H04N23/54

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title

• G03B17/561

  Support related camera accessories · CPC title

• G02B27/646

  compensating for small deviations, e.g. due to vibration or shake (movement of one or more optical elements for control of motion blur in cameras, projectors or printers G03B2205/0007; image stabilisation in cameras peculiar to the presence or use of an electronic image sensor H04N23/68) · CPC title

• B05B12/082

  responsive to a condition of the discharged jet or spray, e.g. to jet shape, spray pattern or droplet size · CPC title

• H04N23/57

  Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices · CPC title