Handheld apparatus for quantifying component features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9803975-B2
Application number	US-201615069308-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2016
Priority date	Jul 17, 2012
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

A handheld device and method using the device, the device comprising a sensor receiving light from within a field of view (FOV) to generate a plurality of consecutive images of the FOV, a structured light source that is controllable to generate a plurality of light patterns, the source arranged to project at least one light patterns into the FOV where at least a portion of a pattern reflects from an object and is captured by the sensor and a processor to receive images, the processor programmed to control the source to project a pattern into the FOV, locate the pattern in at least one of the generated images, locate discontinuities in the pattern and use the discontinuities to measure at least one dimension.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A handheld device for determining at least one dimension of an object, the device comprising:
a housing structure;
a sensor mounted to the housing structure, the sensor receiving light from within a sensor field of view (FOV) to generate a plurality of images of the sensor FOV;
a light source that is controllable to generate a plurality of light patterns, the light source mounted to the housing structure for movement along with the sensor and arranged to project generated light patterns into the sensor FOV for imaging by the sensor; and
a processor linked to the sensor to receive images of the sensor FOV generated by the sensor, the processor being configured to:
control the light source to project a first light pattern into the sensor FOV;
identify the first light pattern in at least one of the images;
determine a second light pattern to be projected by the light source, based on analyzing the first light pattern in the at least one of the images, wherein the second light pattern is not mechanically pre-determined and is not determined based on a light-pattern sequence that is pre-stored in memory; and
measure the at least one dimension of the object based on analysis of at least one of the first light pattern or the second light pattern.

2. The handheld device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
identify a first measured dimension of the object based on identifying the first light pattern in a first image of the plurality of images;
identify a second measured dimension of the object based on identifying the second light pattern in a second image of the plurality of images; and
measure the at least one dimension based on analysis of the first light pattern in the first image and the second light pattern in the second image.

3. The handheld device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine a third light pattern to be projected by the light source, based on analysis of the first and second light patterns; and
measure the at least one dimension based upon analysis of the third light pattern in a third image of the plurality of images.

4. The handheld device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
control the light source to project two lines to be simultaneously imaged; and
determine an angle between the handheld device and the object based on identifying a projected angle between the two lines.

5. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the second light pattern is rotated relative to the first light pattern.

6. The handheld device of claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine a third light pattern to be projected by the light source, based on analysis of the first and second light patterns;
the third light pattern being rotated relative to the first and second light patterns, to be projected rotationally between the first light pattern and the second light pattern.

7. The handheld device of claim 6 , wherein the first light pattern includes a first line;
wherein the second light pattern includes a second line that is rotated relative to the first line; and
wherein the third light pattern includes a third line that is rotated in a first direction relative to the first line and in a second direction relative to the second line.

8. The handheld device of claim 7 , wherein the third light pattern is determined based on comparing a first length of the at least one dimension that is measured based on the first light pattern to a second length of the at least one dimension that is measured based on the second light pattern.

9. The handheld device of claim 8 , wherein the rotation of the third light pattern relative to the second light pattern is determined based on comparing the first length to the second length.

10. A handheld device for determining at least one dimension of an object, the handheld device comprising:
a sensor secured to a housing structure, the sensor receiving light from within a sensor field of view (FOV) to generate a plurality of images of the sensor FOV;
a light source that is controllable to generate a plurality of light patterns, the light source being secured to the housing structure for movement along with the sensor and arranged to project generated light patterns into the sensor FOV for imaging by the sensor; and
a processor linked to the sensor to receive images of the sensor FOV generated by the sensor, the processor being configured to:
control the light source to project a first light pattern into the sensor FOV;
identify the first light pattern in a first image of the plurality of images;
identify at least one feature of the object based on analysis of the first light pattern;
based on the analysis of the first light pattern, determine a second light pattern to be projected by the light source;
identify the second light pattern in a second image of the plurality of images; and
measure at least one aspect of the object based on analysis of the second light pattern in the second image;

wherein the second light pattern is not mechanically pre-determined and is not determined based on a light-pattern sequence stored in memory.

11. The handheld device of claim 10 , wherein the first light pattern includes non-parallel lines; and
wherein the processor is configured to identify edges of a surface of the object based on analysis of the non-parallel lines.

12. The handheld device of claim 11 , wherein the second light pattern is determined to include at least one second-pattern line that is perpendicular to at least one edge of the edges of the surface of the object; and
wherein the processor is configured to measure at least one dimension of the object based on analysis of the at least one second-pattern line.

13. The handheld device of claim 12 , wherein the second light pattern is determined to include a plurality of non-parallel lines, at least some of which are perpendicular to the edges of the surface of the object; and
wherein the processor is configured to measure at least two dimensions of the object based on analysis of the non-parallel lines.

14. The handheld device of claim 10 , wherein identifying the at least one feature of the object includes identifying a plurality of discontinuities of the first light pattern in the first image; and
wherein measuring the at least one aspect of the object includes, for each of the discontinuities, measuring a distance from the sensor to the object at the discontinuity, based on the analysis of the second light pattern in the second image.

15. The handheld device of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of discontinuities correspond to a plurality of edges of the object.

16. The handheld device of claim 10 , wherein identifying the at least one feature of the object includes identifying a geometrical shape of the object; and
wherein the second light pattern is determined based on the identified geometrical shape.

17. A method for use with a handheld device for determining at least one dimension of an object, the handheld device including an image sensor having a field of view (FOV) and an illuminator mounted to a portable housing so that the image sensor and illuminator are movable as a single unit, the method comprising the steps of:
using a processor in the handheld device to perform the steps of:
projecting a first light pattern into the sensor FOV while an object is located within the sensor FOV;
obtaining an image of the sensor FOV;
identifying the first light pattern in a first obtained image;
analyzing the first light pattern to ide

Assignees

• Cognex Corp

Inventors

• Moed Michael C
• Gerst Iii Carl W

Classifications

• G01B11/25 Primary

  by projecting a pattern, e.g. {one or more lines,} moiré fringes on the object (G01B11/255 takes precedence {; image analysis for depth or shape recovery G06T7/50}) · CPC title

• G01B11/06 Primary

  for measuring thickness {; e.g. of sheet material (thickness measurement by thermal means G01B21/085)} · CPC title

• G06V10/242

  by image rotation, e.g. by 90 degrees · CPC title

• G06V10/245

  by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning · CPC title

• G06V10/17

  using hand-held instruments · CPC title