Keywords
Citation
Rigelsford, J. (2003), "System for counting manufactured parts", Assembly Automation, Vol. 23 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/aa.2003.03323cad.014
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2003, MCB UP Limited
System for counting manufactured parts
System for counting manufactured parts
Keywords: Machine vision, Patents
Applicant: Cognex Corporation, USAPatent number: US6,483,935Publication date: 19 November 2002Title: System and method for counting parts in multiple fields of view using machine vision
A machine vision system is presented for counting objects on a moving conveyor belt or other elongated surface. The invention comprises a camera and associated machine vision system that acquires and analyses multiple, successive fields of view taken within an area of interest defined by the system. Each of the fields of view includes flanking right and left overlap zones with respect to the adjacent fields of view. The overlap zones are defined to be at least as wide as the maximum width of a part being counted. The captured fields of view are stored within the system and analyzed in succession based upon a set of rules that determine whether or not a particular part within the subject field of view is to be counted. Certain refinements to basic rules are employed to establish uncertainty regions within the overlapping zones to account for possible errors in tracking objects between the different fields of view. The placement of the objects on the belt should not affect counting accuracy.