System and method for object distance detection and positioning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018239331-A1
Application number	US-201715440616-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 23, 2017
Priority date	Feb 23, 2017
Publication date	Aug 23, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for object distance detection and focal positioning in relation thereto. The method comprising the steps of: (a) identifying (via a computing device) a desired distance among a plurality of designated sites on an object; (b) adjusting a focus (via an autofocus device) onto the plurality of designated sites; (c) calculating (via an image recognition module) the actual distance among the plurality of designated sites; (d) determining (via the image recognition module) if error exist between the actual distance and the desired distance; and (e) wherein (in no particular order) repeating the steps of (b), (c), and (d) until no substantial error exists between the actual distance and the desired distance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for object distance detection and focal positioning in relation thereto, the method comprising:
(a) identifying, via a computing device, a desired distance among a plurality of designated sites on an object; (b) adjusting a focus, via an autofocus device, onto the plurality of designated sites; (c) calculating, via an image recognition module, the actual distance among the plurality of designated sites; (d) determining, via the image recognition module, if error exist between the actual distance and the desired distance; and (e) wherein, in no particular order, repeating each of (b), (c), and (d) until no substantial error exists between the actual distance and the desired distance.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(f) providing the existing error value to a feedback control loop; and (g) producing, via the feedback control loop, a focus correction value.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising an industrial robot acting as a pass through system between the computing device and the brazing-welding device.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the feedback control loop is a PID controller located in the computing device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the autofocus device is located in a brazing-welding device.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the image recognition module is located in the computing device.

7 . A system to detect the distance of an object and position an autofocus device in relation thereto, the system comprising:
a computing device configured to establish a desired distance among a plurality of designated sites on the object, the computing device further comprising an image recognition module configured to calculate the actual distance among the plurality of designated sites, the image recognition module further configured to determine if error exists between the actual distance and desired distance of the plurality of designated sites; the autofocus device configured to adjustmentally focus onto the plurality of designated sites; wherein, the autofocus device will adjust the focus when error is determined to exist between the actual distance and desired distance of the plurality of designated sites.

8 . The system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a feedback control loop located in the computing device, the feedback control loop configured to produce a focus correction value; and wherein the focus correction value is configured to be sent to the autofocus device to adjust the focus to reduce error that exists between the actual distance and desired distance of the plurality of designated sites.

9 . The system of claim 7 , further comprising an industrial robot configured to be a pass through system between the computing device and the brazing-welding device.

10 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the feedback control loop is a PID controller.

11 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the autofocus device is located in a brazing-welding device having a multifocal module.

12 . A method for detecting the distance among a plurality of designated sites on an object and positioning an autofocus device in relation to those designated sites, the method comprising:
(a) identifying, via a computing device, a desired distance among the plurality of designated sites on an object; (b) adjusting a focus, via an autofocus device of a brazing-welding device, to a distance that can monitor the plurality of designated sites; (c) calculating, via an image recognition module, the actual distance among the plurality of designated sites; (d) calculating, via the image recognition module, an error value which corresponds to a discrepancy between the actual distance and the desired distance; (e) calculating, via a feedback control loop, a focus correction value based on the error value, the focus correction value configured to reduce the error value to zero; and (f) readjusting the focus, via the autofocus device, to a distance which corresponds to the focus correction value.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising an industrial robot acting as a pass through system between the computing device and the brazing-welding device.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the feedback control loop is a PID controller located in the computing device.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the brazing-welding device comprises a multifocal module.

16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the image recognition module is located in the computing device.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Forrest John
• Solomon Joshua
• Poss Michael

Classifications

• B23K2101/006

  Vehicles · CPC title

• B23K1/0056

  soldering by means of beams, e.g. lasers, electron beams [EB] · CPC title

• B23K26/1464

  Supply to, or discharge from, nozzles of media, e.g. gas, powder, wire · CPC title

• G05B2219/45138

  Laser welding · CPC title

• B23K26/048 Primary

  by controlling the distance between laser head and workpiece · CPC title