US5974169A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Machine vision methods for determining characteristics of an object using boundary points and bounding regions
Assignee: Cognex Corp
•
Filing: 1997-03-20
•
Granted: 1999-10-26
•
Expires: 2017-03-20
Abstract
Abstract Machine vision methods for determining a characteristic (such as position, orientation, size, center of mass, and boundary) of an object in an image include finding points in the image on the boundary of the object; identifying bounding boxes, or regions, in the image that correspond to edges of the object; and labeling boundary points to denote which respective edges, if any, to which they belong based on (i) the locations and orientations of those points, and (ii) locations of the plural bounding boxes. Points apparently lying on a boundary of the object, but outside a bounding box, can be ignored--and, more particularly, are denoted as not corresponding to an edge. Likewise, apparent boundary points lying within a bounding box, but at an angle not associated with the corresponding to the respective edge of the object, can also be ignored. Characteristics of the imaged object are determined as a function of those boundary points found to correspond to an edge of the object (e.g., points lying within a bounding box, at the expected angle, and not too far from a line connecting similarly situated points). Characteristics of the object, such as position, orientation, size, center of mass, and boundary points, can be determined in the image reference frame.
Inventors
- 👤 Ivan A. Bachelder
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 02:19
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T7/00; G06T7/10; G06T7/12; G06T2207/00; G06T2207/10; G06T2207/10016; G06T2207/30; G06T2207/30108; G06T2207/30141
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 30
Claim 1
Independent Claim
130 words
A method of determining a characteristic of an object in an image, comprising the steps of A. finding, in the image, points on a boundary of the object; B. identifying, in the image, plural bounding boxes corresponding to each of plural respective edges of the object; C. determining a correspondence, if any, between points in the image on the boundary of the object and respective edges of the object, such determination being based on at least (i) locations and orientations in the image of the points on the boundary of the object, and (ii) locations in the image of the plural bounding boxes; D. determining a characteristic of the object based on those points in the image on the boundary of the object that correspond to edges of the object.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
130 words
A method of determining a characteristic of an object in an image, comprising the steps of A. finding, in the image, points on a boundary of the object; B. identifying, in the image, plural bounding boxes corresponding to each of plural respective edges of the object; C. determining a correspondence, if any, between points in the image on the boundary of the object and respective edges of the object, such determination being based on at least (i) locations and orientations in the image of the points on the boundary of the object, and (ii) locations in the image of the plural bounding boxes; D. determining a characteristic of the object based on those points in the image on the boundary of the object that correspond to edges of the object.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein step (B) includes the step of identifying bounding boxes in the image corresponding to any of a top, bottom and side edges of the object.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
59 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein step (B) includes the steps of determining (i) at least a coarse location of the object in the image, and (ii) an estimate of uncertainty of that location; and identifying the bounding boxes in the image as a function of at least the coarse location and the estimate of the uncertainty thereof.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 3, wherein step (B) includes the step of determining the coarse location of the object in the image as a function of its center of mass in the image.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method according to claim 3, wherein step (B) includes the step of determining the estimate of the uncertainty of the coarse location as a function of characteristics of features in the image other than the object.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
47 words
A method according to claim 5,wherein step (B) includes the step of determining the estimate of the uncertainty of the coarse location as a function of an estimated size of a device for handling the object, which device may appear in the image along with the object.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method according to claim 6, wherein step (B) includes the step of determining the estimate of the uncertainty of the coarse location as a function of an estimated size of a pick-up nozzle that may appear in the image along with the object.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method according to claim 3, wherein step (B) includes determining the estimated uncertainty as a function of potential variations in the size of the object that are not related imaging.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
74 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein step (C) includes the steps determining the locations and orientations in the image of points on the boundary of the object, for each of at least selected ones of those points: (i) determining which bounding box, if any, in the image the point resides in, (ii) comparing the orientation of the point with an expected orientation of the edge of the object corresponding to that bounding box.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
50 words
A method according to claim 9, wherein step (C) includes the step of identifying as corresponding to a respective edge of the object a point that (i) resides in a bounding box corresponding to that edge, (ii) has an orientation that compares favorably with the expected orientation of that edge.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
53 words
A method according to claim 10, wherein step (C) includes the steps of fitting a line to the points in the image that correspond to a respective edge of the object, and identifying as not corresponding to an edge any of those points that resides more than a specified distance from that line.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
66 words
A method according to claim 9, wherein step (C) includes the step of identifying as not corresponding to an edge of the object a point in the image that (i) is not in any bounding box, or (ii) does not have an orientation that compares favorably with the expected orientation of the edge of the object corresponding to the bounding box in which the point resides.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein step (D) includes the step of using point-line correspondences to fit to respective edges of a model of the object those points in the image that correspond to those edges.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 13, wherein step (D) includes the step of determining a characteristic of the object from the points subsequent to their being fit to the respective edges of the model.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 13, wherein step (D) includes the step of determining as the characteristic of the object any of a position, orientation, size, center of mass, and boundary of the object.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
216 words
A method of determining a characteristic of a backlit rectangular object in an image, comprising the steps of A. finding in the image points on a boundary of the object; B. determining at least a coarse location of the object in the image, and an estimate of uncertainty of that location; C. identifying as a function of at least the coarse location and the estimate of the uncertainty thereof bounding boxes in the image corresponding to any of a top, bottom and side edges of the object; D. determining the locations and orientations in the image of points on the boundary of the object, and for each of at least selected ones of those points (i) determining which bounding box, if any, in the image the point resides in, (ii) comparing the orientation of the point with an expected orientation of the edge of the object corresponding to that bounding box; E. identifying as corresponding to a respective edge of the object a point that (i) resides in a bounding box corresponding to that edge, (ii) has an orientation that compares favorably with the expected orientation of that edge; F. determining a characteristic of the object based on those points in the image on the boundary of the object that correspond to edges of the object.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
216 words
A method of determining a characteristic of a backlit rectangular object in an image, comprising the steps of A. finding in the image points on a boundary of the object; B. determining at least a coarse location of the object in the image, and an estimate of uncertainty of that location; C. identifying as a function of at least the coarse location and the estimate of the uncertainty thereof bounding boxes in the image corresponding to any of a top, bottom and side edges of the object; D. determining the locations and orientations in the image of points on the boundary of the object, and for each of at least selected ones of those points (i) determining which bounding box, if any, in the image the point resides in, (ii) comparing the orientation of the point with an expected orientation of the edge of the object corresponding to that bounding box; E. identifying as corresponding to a respective edge of the object a point that (i) resides in a bounding box corresponding to that edge, (ii) has an orientation that compares favorably with the expected orientation of that edge; F. determining a characteristic of the object based on those points in the image on the boundary of the object that correspond to edges of the object.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 16, wherein step (A) includes the step of determining a region of interest in the image and performing the remaining steps of the method on that region of interest.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method according to claim 17, wherein step (A) includes the step of determining that region of interest based on any of an estimated position and uncertainty of the object in the image.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method according to claim 16, wherein step (A) includes the step of smoothing the region of interest prior to performing the remaining steps the remaining steps of the method thereon.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 16, wherein step (B) includes the step of determining the coarse location of the object in the image as a function of its center of mass in the image.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 16, wherein step (B) includes the step of determining the estimate of the uncertainty of the coarse location as a function of characteristics of other features of the image.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method according to claim 21, wherein step (B) includes the step of determining the estimate of the uncertainty of the coarse location as a function of an estimated size of a device for handling the object, which device may appear in the image along with the object.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method according to claim 22, wherein step (B) includes the step of determining the estimate of the uncertainty of the coarse location as a function of an estimated size of a pick-up nozzle that may appear in the image along with the object.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
53 words
A method according to claim 16, wherein step (E) includes the steps of fitting a line to the points in the image that correspond to a respective edge of the object, and identifying as not corresponding to an edge any of those points that resides more than a specified distance from that line.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
127 words
A method of determining a characteristic of an object in an image, comprising the steps of A. finding, in the image, points on a boundary of the object; B. identifying, in the image, plural bounding boxes corresponding to each of plural respective edges of the object; C. determining a correspondence, if any, between points in the image on the boundary the object and respective edges of the object, such determination being based on at least (i) locations in the image of the points on the boundary of the object, and (ii) locations in the image of the plural bounding boxes; D. determining a characteristic of the object based on those points in the image on the boundary of the object that correspond to edges of the object.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
127 words
A method of determining a characteristic of an object in an image, comprising the steps of A. finding, in the image, points on a boundary of the object; B. identifying, in the image, plural bounding boxes corresponding to each of plural respective edges of the object; C. determining a correspondence, if any, between points in the image on the boundary the object and respective edges of the object, such determination being based on at least (i) locations in the image of the points on the boundary of the object, and (ii) locations in the image of the plural bounding boxes; D. determining a characteristic of the object based on those points in the image on the boundary of the object that correspond to edges of the object.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
124 words
A method of determining a characteristic of an object in an image, comprising the steps of A. finding, in the image, points on a boundary of the object; B. determining angular orientations of the points on the boundary of the object; C. determining a correspondence, if any, between points in the image on the boundary of the object and respective edges of the object, such determination being based on at least (i) the angular orientations of the points on the boundary of the object, and (ii) the expected angular orientations of the edges of the object; and D. determining a characteristic of the object based on those points in the image on the boundary of the object that correspond to edges of the object.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
124 words
A method of determining a characteristic of an object in an image, comprising the steps of A. finding, in the image, points on a boundary of the object; B. determining angular orientations of the points on the boundary of the object; C. determining a correspondence, if any, between points in the image on the boundary of the object and respective edges of the object, such determination being based on at least (i) the angular orientations of the points on the boundary of the object, and (ii) the expected angular orientations of the edges of the object; and D. determining a characteristic of the object based on those points in the image on the boundary of the object that correspond to edges of the object.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-10-25 | 2003-04-26 | 2003-10-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-10-25 | 2007-04-26 | 2007-10-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-10-25 | 2011-04-26 | 2011-10-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |