Device for and method of detecting positioning marks for cutting ceramic laminated body

Claim 1

A device for calculating a middle point for positioning marks provided on outer side surfaces of a ceramic laminated body for cutting said laminated body along a direction corresponding to the thickness, the positioning marks having predetermined color density and being of predetermined area and length, said device comprising: detecting means for detecting image information obtained from said side surfaces to produce a corresponding image signal representing color density, area and length of regions of said side surfaces which are to be extracted as candidate positioning marks; binary coding means for converting said image signal into a binary signal based on a predetermined color density; storing means for storing said binary signal; characteristic extracting means for extracting said regions of said side surfaces from said binary signal stored in said storing means, as candidate positioning marks, said extraction being done by selecting regions, from said binary signal, having a color density at least equal to said predetermined color density, and eliminating therefrom regions having an area less than or equal to a predetermined area and regions having a length greater than or equal to a predetermined length, said length of said regions being measured along a direction perpendicular to said thickness direction of said laminated body; and middle point calculating means for calculating a middle point of a group of positioning marks selected from said candidate positioning marks by: (i) defining a rectangle to circumscribe each of said candidate positioning marks thereby forming a plurality of circumscribed rectangles; (ii) enlarging each of said circumscribed rectangles to a predetermined size to obtain enlarged circumscribed rectangles; (iii) observing said enlarged circumscribed rectangles to determine overlapping of said enlarged circumscribed rectangles with each other; (iv) separating said candidate positioning marks into groups to form a plurality of groups with each group comprising only candidate positioning marks having overlapping enlarged circumscribed rectangles; (v) calculating areas of each of said overlapping enlarged circumscribed rectangles; (vi) adding up said areas in each respective one of said plurality of groups whereby a group having the largest sum of the areas is selected as said group of positioning marks; and (vii) calculating said middle point for said group of positioning marks, said middle point lying between a left end and a right end of said group of positioning marks, said left end of said group being fixed by the left end of the leftmost positioning mark in said group and the right end of the group being fixed by the right end of the rightmost positioning mark in said group.

Claim 2

A device for calculating a middle point for positioning marks provided on outer side surfaces of a ceramic laminated body for cutting said laminated body along a direction corresponding to the thickness, the positioning marks having predetermined color density and being of predetermined area and length, said device comprising: detecting means for detecting image information obtained from said side surfaces to produce a corresponding image signal representing color density, area and length of regions of said side surfaces which are to be extracted as candidate positioning marks; binary coding means for converting said image signal into a binary signal based on a predetermined color density; storing means for storing said binary signal; characteristic extracting means for extracting said regions of said side surfaces from said binary signal stored in said storing means, as candidate positioning marks, said extraction being done by selecting regions, from said binary signal, having a color density at least equal to said predetermined color density, and eliminating therefrom regions having an area less than or equal to a predetermined area and regions having a length greater than or equal to a predetermined length, said length of said regions being measured along a direction perpendicular to said thickness direction of said laminated body; and middle point calculating means for calculating a middle point of a group of positioning marks selected from said candidate positioning marks by: (i) defining a rectangle to circumscribe each of said candidate positioning marks thereby forming a plurality of circumscribed rectangles; (ii) enlarging each of said circumscribed rectangles to a predetermined size to obtain enlarged circumscribed rectangles; (iii) observing said enlarged circumscribed rectangles to determine overlapping of said enlarged circumscribed rectangles with each other; (iv) separating said candidate positioning marks into groups to form a plurality of groups with each group comprising only candidate positioning marks having overlapping enlarged circumscribed rectangles; (v) calculating areas of each of said overlapping enlarged circumscribed rectangles; (vi) adding up said areas in each respective one of said plurality of groups whereby a group having the largest sum of the areas is selected as said group of positioning marks; and (vii) calculating said middle point for said group of positioning marks, said middle point lying between a left end and a right end of said group of positioning marks, said left end of said group being fixed by the left end of the leftmost positioning mark in said group and the right end of the group being fixed by the right end of the rightmost positioning mark in said group.

Claim 4

A method for calculating a middle point for positioning marks provided on outer side surfaces of a ceramic laminated body for cutting said laminated body along a direction corresponding to the thickness, the positioning marks having predetermined color density and being of predetermined area and length, said method comprising: obtaining image information from said side surfaces to produce a corresponding image signal representing color density, area and length of regions of said side surfaces which are to be extracted as candidate positioning marks; converting said image signal into a binary signal based on a predetermined color density; extracting said regions of said side surfaces from said binary signal, as candidate positioning marks, said extraction being done by selecting regions, from said binary signal, having a color density at least equal to said predetermined color density, and eliminating therefrom regions having an area less than or equal to a predetermined area and regions having a length greater than or equal to a predetermined length, said length of said regions being measured along a direction perpendicular to said thickness direction of said laminated body; selecting a group of positioning marks from said candidate positioning marks, said group being selected by: (i) defining a rectangle to circumscribe each of said candidate positioning marks thereby forming a plurality of circumscribed rectangles; (ii) enlarging each of said circumscribed rectangles to a predetermined size to obtain enlarged circumscribed rectangles; (iii) observing said enlarged circumscribed rectangles to determine overlapping of said enlarged circumscribed rectangles with each other; (iv) separating said candidate positioning marks into groups to form a plurality of groups with each group comprising only candidate positioning marks having overlapping enlarged circumscribed rectangles; (v) calculating areas of each of said overlapping enlarged circumscribed rectangles; and (vi) adding up said areas in each respective one of said plurality of groups whereby a group having the largest sum of the areas is selected as said group of positioning marks; and calculating a middle point for said group of positioning marks, said middle point lying between a left end and a right end of said group of positioning marks, said left end of said group being fixed by the left end of the leftmost positioning mark in said group and the right end of the group being fixed by the right end of the rightmost positioning mark in said group.

Claim 5

A method for calculating a middle point for positioning marks provided on outer side surfaces of a ceramic laminated body for cutting said laminated body along a direction corresponding to the thickness, the positioning marks having predetermined color density and being of predetermined area and length, said method comprising: obtaining image information from said side surfaces to produce a corresponding image signal representing color density, area and length of regions of said side surfaces which are to be extracted as candidate positioning marks; converting said image signal into a binary signal based on a predetermined color density; extracting said regions of said side surfaces from said binary signal, as candidate positioning marks, said extraction being done by selecting regions, from said binary signal, having a color density at least equal to said predetermined color density, and eliminating therefrom regions having an area less than or equal to a predetermined area and regions having a length greater than or equal to a predetermined length, said length of said regions being measured along a direction perpendicular to said thickness direction of said laminated body; selecting a group of positioning marks from said candidate positioning marks, said group being selected by: (i) defining a rectangle to circumscribe each of said candidate positioning marks thereby forming a plurality of circumscribed rectangles; (ii) enlarging each of said circumscribed rectangles to a predetermined size to obtain enlarged circumscribed rectangles; (iii) observing said enlarged circumscribed rectangles to determine overlapping of said enlarged circumscribed rectangles with each other; (iv) separating said candidate positioning marks into groups to form a plurality of groups with each group comprising only candidate positioning marks having overlapping enlarged circumscribed rectangles; (v) calculating areas of each of said overlapping enlarged circumscribed rectangles; and (vi) adding up said areas in each respective one of said plurality of groups whereby a group having the largest sum of the areas is selected as said group of positioning marks; and calculating a middle point for said group of positioning marks, said middle point lying between a left end and a right end of said group of positioning marks, said left end of said group being fixed by the left end of the leftmost positioning mark in said group and the right end of the group being fixed by the right end of the rightmost positioning mark in said group.

Claim 7

A device for calculating a middle point for marks provided on a ceramic laminated body, said device comprising: detecting means for detecting image information obtained from said laminated body to produce a corresponding image signal representing regions of said laminated body which are to be extracted as candidate marks; binary coding means for converting said image signal into a binary signal; storing means for storing said binary signal; characteristic extracting means for extracting regions of said laminated body from said binary signal stored in said storing means as candidate marks; and middle point calculating means for calculating a middle point of a group of marks selected from said candidate marks, said group being selected by: (i) defining a rectangle to circumscribe each of said candidate marks thereby forming a plurality of circumscribed rectangles; (ii) enlarging each of said circumscribed rectangles to a predetermined size to obtain enlarged circumscribed rectangles; (iii) observing said enlarged circumscribed rectangles to determine overlapping of said enlarged circumscribed rectangles with each other; (iv) separating said candidate marks into groups to form a plurality of groups with each group comprising only regions having overlapping enlarged circumscribed rectangles; (v) calculating areas of each of said overlapping enlarged circumscribed rectangles; (vi) adding up said areas in each respective one of said plurality of groups whereby a group having the largest sum of the areas is selected as said group of marks; and (vii) calculating a middle point for said group of marks, said middle point lying between a left end and a right end of said group of marks, said left end of said group being fixed by the left end of the leftmost mark in said group and the right end of the group being fixed by the right end of the rightmost mark in said group.

Claim 8

A device for calculating a middle point for marks provided on a ceramic laminated body, said device comprising: detecting means for detecting image information obtained from said laminated body to produce a corresponding image signal representing regions of said laminated body which are to be extracted as candidate marks; binary coding means for converting said image signal into a binary signal; storing means for storing said binary signal; characteristic extracting means for extracting regions of said laminated body from said binary signal stored in said storing means as candidate marks; and middle point calculating means for calculating a middle point of a group of marks selected from said candidate marks, said group being selected by: (i) defining a rectangle to circumscribe each of said candidate marks thereby forming a plurality of circumscribed rectangles; (ii) enlarging each of said circumscribed rectangles to a predetermined size to obtain enlarged circumscribed rectangles; (iii) observing said enlarged circumscribed rectangles to determine overlapping of said enlarged circumscribed rectangles with each other; (iv) separating said candidate marks into groups to form a plurality of groups with each group comprising only regions having overlapping enlarged circumscribed rectangles; (v) calculating areas of each of said overlapping enlarged circumscribed rectangles; (vi) adding up said areas in each respective one of said plurality of groups whereby a group having the largest sum of the areas is selected as said group of marks; and (vii) calculating a middle point for said group of marks, said middle point lying between a left end and a right end of said group of marks, said left end of said group being fixed by the left end of the leftmost mark in said group and the right end of the group being fixed by the right end of the rightmost mark in said group.

Claim 13

A method for calculating a middle point for marks provided on a ceramic laminated body, said method comprising: obtaining image information from said laminated body to produce a corresponding image signal representing regions of said laminated body which are to be extracted as candidate marks; converting said image signal into a binary signal; extracting regions of said laminated body from said binary signal as candidate marks; selecting a group of marks from said candidate marks, said group being selected by: (i) defining a rectangle to circumscribe each of said candidate marks thereby forming a plurality of circumscribed rectangles; (ii) enlarging each of said circumscribed rectangles to a predetermined size to obtain enlarged circumscribed rectangles; (iii) observing said enlarged circumscribed rectangles to determine overlapping of said enlarged circumscribed rectangles with each other; (iv) separating said candidate marks into groups to form a plurality of groups with each group comprising only regions having overlapping enlarged circumscribed rectangles; (v) calculating areas of each of said overlapping enlarged circumscribed rectangles; and (vi) adding up said areas in each respective one of said plurality of groups whereby a group having the largest sum of the areas is selected as said group of marks; and calculating a middle point for said group of marks, said middle point lying between a left end and a right end of said group of marks, said left end of said group being fixed by the left end of the leftmost mark in said group and the right end of the group being fixed by the right end of the rightmost mark in said group.

Claim 14

A method for calculating a middle point for marks provided on a ceramic laminated body, said method comprising: obtaining image information from said laminated body to produce a corresponding image signal representing regions of said laminated body which are to be extracted as candidate marks; converting said image signal into a binary signal; extracting regions of said laminated body from said binary signal as candidate marks; selecting a group of marks from said candidate marks, said group being selected by: (i) defining a rectangle to circumscribe each of said candidate marks thereby forming a plurality of circumscribed rectangles; (ii) enlarging each of said circumscribed rectangles to a predetermined size to obtain enlarged circumscribed rectangles; (iii) observing said enlarged circumscribed rectangles to determine overlapping of said enlarged circumscribed rectangles with each other; (iv) separating said candidate marks into groups to form a plurality of groups with each group comprising only regions having overlapping enlarged circumscribed rectangles; (v) calculating areas of each of said overlapping enlarged circumscribed rectangles; and (vi) adding up said areas in each respective one of said plurality of groups whereby a group having the largest sum of the areas is selected as said group of marks; and calculating a middle point for said group of marks, said middle point lying between a left end and a right end of said group of marks, said left end of said group being fixed by the left end of the leftmost mark in said group and the right end of the group being fixed by the right end of the rightmost mark in said group.