Cognex Corporation

Cognex Technology and Investment Corporation

Adam Wagman

William M Silver

Aaron S Wallack

Sanjay J Nichani

E John McGarry

David J Michael

Andrew Hoelscher

Simon Barker

Willard P Foster

Ivan A Bachelder

Matthew Leon Hill

Jason Davis

Nigel John Foster

Hongjun Jia

Juha Tapio Koljonen

Sateesh Nadabar

Matt Hill

Yusuf Akgul

Prabhav Morje

Aaron Walleck

Araon Wallack

This invention applies dynamic weighting between a point-to-plane and point-to-edge metric on a per-edge basis in an acquired image using a vision system. This allows an applied ICP technique to be significantly more robust to a variety of object geometries and/or occlusions. A system and method herein provides an energy function that is minimized to generate candidate 3D poses for use in alignment of runtime 3D image data of an object with model 3D image data. Since normals are much more accurate than edges, the use of normal is desirable when possible. However, in some use cases, such as a plane, edges provide information in relative directions the normals do not. Hence the system and method defines a 'normal information matrix', which represents the directions in which sufficient information is present. Performing (e.g.) a principal component analysis (PCA) on this matrix provides a basis for the available information.

System and method for simultaneous consideration of edges and normals in image features by a vision system

This invention provides a system and method for estimating match of a 3D alignment pose of a runtime 3D point cloud relative to a trained model 3D point cloud. It includes scoring a match of a candidate pose of the runtime 3D point cloud relative to the trained model 3D point cloud, including a visibility check that comprises (a) receiving a 3D camera optical center (b) receiving the trained model 3D point cloud; (c) receiving the runtime 3D point cloud; and (d) constructing a plurality of line segments from the optical center to a plurality of 3D points in the 3D point cloud at the runtime candidate pose. A system and method for determining an accurate representation of a 3D imaged object by omitting spurious points from a composite point cloud based on the presence or absence of such points in a given number of point clouds is also provided.

System and method for improved scoring of 3D poses and spurious point removal in 3D image data

This invention provides a system and method for aligning first three-dimensional (3D) point cloud image representing a model with a second 3D point cloud image representing a target, using a vision system processor. A passing overall score is established for possible alignments of the first 3D point cloud image with the second 3D point cloud image. A coverage score for at least one alignment of the first 3D point cloud image with the second 3D point cloud image is estimated so that the coverage score describes an amount of desired features in the first 3D point cloud image present in the second 3D point cloud image. A clutter score is estimated so that the clutter score describes extraneous features in the second 3D point cloud image. An overall score is computed as a difference between the coverage score and the clutter score.

System and method for scoring clutter for use in 3D point cloud matching in a vision system

A machine vision system includes a computer with one or more processors and software that has a plurality of tool routines each performing a different image analysis function. A machine vision application program is created by selecting certain ones of the plurality of tool routines to analyze the image. A maximum number of processors on the computer is designated as available for executing a machine vision application, wherein the maximum number may be less than the total number of processors on the computer. When the machine vision application program operates execution of each tool routine is limited to using simultaneously no more than the maximum number of processors.

Method of configuring a machine vision application program for execution on a multi-processor computer

A method and system for probe-based pattern matching including an apparatus for synthetic training of a model of a pattern. The apparatus comprises a sensor for obtaining an image of the pattern and a processor for receiving the image of the pattern from the sensor and running a program. In the steps performed by the program a boundary of the pattern in the image is identified. A plurality of positive probes are placed at selected points along the boundary of the pattern and at least one straight segment of the boundary of the pattern is identified. The at least one straight segment of the boundary is extended to provide an imaginary straight segment and a plurality of negative probes are placed at selected points along the imaginary straight segment, where each negative probe has a negative weight.

Method for fast, robust, multi-dimensional pattern recognition

A method for training a pattern recognition algorithm including the steps of identifying the known location of the pattern that includes repeating elements within a fine resolution image, using the fine resolution image to train a model associated with the fine image, using the model to examine the fine image resolution image to generate a score space, examining the score space to identify a repeating pattern frequency, using a coarse image that is coarser than the finest image resolution image to train a model associated with the coarse image, using the model associated with the coarse image to examine the coarse image thereby generating a location error, comparing the location error to the repeating pattern frequency and determining if the coarse image resolution is suitable for locating the pattern within a fraction of one pitch of the repeating elements.

Method and apparatus for training a probe model based machine vision system

A method for training a pattern recognition algorithm for a machine vision system that uses models of a pattern to be located, the method comprising the steps of training each of a plurality of models using a different training image wherein each of the training images is a version of a single image of the pattern at a unique coarse image resolution, using the models to identify at least one robust image resolution where the image resolution is suitable for locating the pattern within an accuracy limit of the actual location of the pattern in the image and storing the at least one robust image resolution for use in subsequent pattern recognition processes.

Disclosed is a method for determining the absence or presence of one or more instances of a predetermined pattern in an image, and for determining the location of each found instance within a multidimensional space. A model represents the pattern to be found, the model including a plurality of probes. Each probe represents a relative position at which a test is performed in an image at a given pose, each such test contributing evidence that the pattern exists at the pose. The method further includes a comparison of the model with a run-time image at each of a plurality of poses. A match score is computed at each pose to provide a match score surface. Then, the match score is compared with an accept threshold, and used to provide the location any instances of the pattern in the image.

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Framingham, MA, United States of America

Adam Wagman