Method and device for visually inspecting objects to be tested during the production and/or packaging of cigarettes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9366639-B2
Application number	US-201214236307-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2012
Priority date	Aug 2, 2011
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

A method and a device for the optical testing of objects during the production and/or packaging of cigarettes, in particular of cigarette packs and/or blanks for cigarette packs and/or overprints and/or print substrates on or for cigarette packs, with the aid of a suitable testing device. For at least one feature characterizing the test object, in particular in a visual respect, a set of feature-value alternatives for the corresponding feature that are stored in a memory is displayed on a display means. By means of an input device, one of the displayed feature values of the set of feature-value alternatives is selected. The testing device is automatically set up or preset for the subsequent testing operations, in particular an evaluating device and/or an illuminating device and/or a suitable light detector of the testing device, the selection of the feature value influencing the setting up of the testing device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for setting up or presetting a testing device for the optical testing of test objects during the production and/or packaging of cigarettes, the method comprising:
a) displaying on a display means of the testing device a set of feature values for at least one visual feature characterizing the test object , the at least one visual feature being selected from the group consisting of physical, surface, and optical features of the test objects, and the set of feature values previously being stored in a data memory;
b) selecting at least one of the displayed feature values by means of an input device of the testing device;
c) in accordance with the selected at least one of the displayed feature values, using a computer to automatically select at least one test method that is suitable for the test object to be tested from a number of test methods that are stored in the data memory and by which the test objects are to tested with the testing device;
d) using the computer to automatically set up or preset at least one testing element of the testing device, the testing element being selected from the group consisting of an evaluating device, an illuminating device, and a suitable light detector, for subsequent testing operations on the test objects, wherein the selection of the at least one of the displayed feature values influences the setting up or presetting of the testing device; and
e) testing the test objects with the set-up or preset testing device, wherein the test objects are at least one of a cigarette pack and blank for a cigarette pack.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising selectably displaying from this number of test methods multiple test methods that are suitable for testing the test object to be tested on the display means, whereby a user selects at least one of the test methods displayed.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising performing the testing of the test objects in accordance with the at least one of the test methods selected automatically or by the user.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the test methods comprise test algorithms and, with the aid of the test methods comprising the test algorithms, further comprising using the testing element for taking, recording, and evaluating images of the test objects in the course of the testing of the test objects.

5. The method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising selecting parameters that are used by the testing device in the course of the testing of the test objects in advance in accordance with the at least one test method selected automatically using the computer or by the user from a number of parameters respectively stored for the testing device in the data memory, and transferring the selected parameters to the testing device.

6. The method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising:
In accordance with the at least one test method selected automatically using the computer, determining in advance parameters for the at least one testing element that are used by the testing element during the testing of the test objects;
illuminating a reference test object, arranged at a later testing position of the test Objects with light of the illuminating device at a set light intensity;
recording at least one image of the illuminated reference test object by the light detector;
evaluating the recorded image of the illuminated reference test object by comparing the recorded image of the illuminated reference with predetermined criteria stored in the data memory; and
if the recorded image of the illuminated reference test object does not correspond to the predetermined criteria, repeating the aforementioned steps with changed settings of the light intensity of an illuminating element of the illuminating device until the recorded image of the illuminated reference test object corresponds to the predetermined criteria.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising displaying on the display means the feature values alphanumerically and/or as image objects.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
graphically displaying the test object on the display means;
using the input means to select at least one of a region of the test object in which the test object is to be tested and a region in which the test object is not to be tested;
using the input means to visually highlight the selected region on the display means; and
testing only the selected region or only the non-selected region is tested with the testing device.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the test objects are at least one of the following two groups of test object:
pack top sides of a cigarette pack with a banderole arranged on them, wherein a set of various combinations of top sides with banderoles arranged on them is displayed selectably as a set of feature values; and
pack bottom sides with bottom foldings of a cigarette pack, wherein a set of various combinations of bottom sides with bottom folding being displayed selectably as a set of feature values.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising, after selecting the at least one of the displayed feature values with the input device, displaying help displays on the display means, the help displays comprising at least one of help images and help texts comprising at least one of tips on the feature values and the selected region.

11. a method for setting up or presetting a testing device for the optical testing of a test object during the production and/or packaging of cigarettes, the method comprising:
a) at least one of (i) storing feature values of visual features characterizing the test object by means of an input device in a data memory, and (ii) determining the feature values at least partly automatically using a computer by evaluation of at least one image of a reference test object recorded by means of an electrooptical testing element, the visual features being selected from the group consisting of physical, surface, and optical features of the test object;
b) selecting at least one of the feature values by means of the input device and using the compute to automatically select at least one test method that is suitable for the test object to be tested from the a number of test methods that are stored in the data memory and by which the test objects are to be tested with the testing device;
c) setting up or presetting at least one testing element of the testing device, the testing element being selected from the group consisting of an evaluating device, an illuminating device, and a suitable light detector, for subsequent testing operations on the test object, wherein the feature values influence the setting up of the testing device; and
d) testing the test objects with the set-up or preset testing device, wherein the test objects are at least one of a cigarette pack and blank for cigarette pack.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the feature values are selected from the group consisting of design dimension data of the cigarette pack, design dimension data of the blank, dimension and/or position data concerning image objects arranged on the test object, and dimension and/or position data concerning alphanumeric characters arranged on the test object, and combinations thereof.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising, with the aid of suitable algorithms and the computer, determining an image having a spatial effect of a reference test object that can be folded from the blank from at least the design data of the blank for the reference test object.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , furth

Assignees

• Kral Vincent
• Czarnotta Michael
• Focke & Co

Inventors

• Kral Vincent
• Czarnotta Michael

Classifications

• G01N21/93

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• G01N2021/845

  Objects on a conveyor · CPC title

• B65B57/00

  Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices (registering wrapping or container-forming material fed from rolls B65B41/18) · CPC title

• G06T2207/30108

  Industrial image inspection · CPC title

• G01N21/8806

  Specially adapted optical and illumination features · CPC title