Portable composable machine vision system for identifying projectiles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9734569-B2
Application number	US-201514638313-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2015
Priority date	Mar 4, 2004
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

A machine vision system for automatically identifying and inspecting objects is disclosed, including composable vision-based recognition modules and a decision algorithm to perform the final determination on object type and quality. This vision system has been used to develop a Projectile Identification System and an Automated Tactical Ammunition Classification System. The technology can be used to create numerous other inspection and automated identification systems.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system for inspecting and sorting munitions, ordnance or other manufactured parts, comprising:
a feeder for consecutively conveying parts along a path which extends through an inspection module;
the inspection module including an input guide for delivering a part into the inspection module, and an output guide for receiving a part from the inspection module;
a physical gap between the input guide and the output guide in the inspection module, such that when a part traverses the gap, the side surfaces of the part are at least temporarily visually unobstructed;
a strobe light operative to illuminate an unobstructed side surface of the part as it traverses the gap between the input guide and the output guide;
an area camera operative to acquire one or more side images of the part illuminated by the strobe light as it traverses the gap; and
a processor for processing the side images to identify part characteristics or part defects.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the area camera and the strobe light are synchronized.

3. The system of claim 1 , further including a module for performing an eddy current analysis on the part.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the input guide includes a V-shaped track.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or both of the input and output guides are channels with V-shaped cross sections.

6. The system of claim 1 , further including a sorter for sorting the parts in accordance with the part characteristics or part defects.

7. The system of claim 3 , wherein the sorter includes a blow-off unit to divert parts found to be unacceptable.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the feeder includes a bore through which an operator loads parts for inspection.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the feeder is configured to receive belt ammunition.

10. The system of claim 1 , further including a mechanism for forming a single line or column of parts for presentation to the inspection module.

11. The system of claim 1 , further including a narrowing channel and restriction plates to form a single line or column of parts for presentation to the inspection module.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the image processor is operative to determine the color or hue of a part.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further operative to recognize alphanumerical characters, bar codes, or radio-frequency ID tags on a part during inspection.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further operative to recognize imperfections associated with dents or corrosion.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further operative to recognize corrosion due to copper sulfate leakage.

Assignees

• Cybernet Systems Corp
• Cybernet Systems Corp

Inventors

• Beach Glenn J
• Moody Gary
• Burkowski James
• Jacobus Charles J

Classifications

• G06T7/0004 Primary

  Industrial image inspection · CPC title

• G06T2207/30108

  Industrial image inspection · CPC title

• G06T2207/30164

  Workpiece; Machine component · CPC title

• G01N21/8851

  Scan or image signal processing specially adapted therefor, e.g. for scan signal adjustment, for detecting different kinds of defects, for compensating for structures, markings, edges (G01N21/8806 and G01N21/93 - G01N21/95692 take precedence; optical measurement of dimensions G01B11/00; optical scanning G02B26/10; image transformation G06T3/00; computerised image enhancement G06T5/00; image processing per se for flaw detection G06T7/0002) · CPC title

• B07C5/34

  Sorting according to other particular properties {(material testing per se G01N; quality control G07C3/14)} · CPC title