Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Atsuharu Yamamoto

Yuji Maruyama

Hidehiko Kawakami

Hideaki Kawamura

Mikio Fujita

Toyoki Kawahara

Shigeo Komizo

Hidemi Takahashi

Iwao Ichikawa

Toru Asano

Katsuhiro Kondoh

Hiroaki Kotera

Kunio Yoshida

Hiroyoshi Tsuchiya

Katsuo Nakazato

Kunio Sannomiya

Masaaki Nakashima

Kuinio Yoshida

A bar code reader which is suitable for decoding a four-state bar code such as a Postnet bar code and which is designed to extract a bar code correctly from a background in a captured image. The bar code reader includes a binary coding circuit transforming a captured image into a binary image, an image storage storing therein the binary image, a shrinking circuit shrinking each pattern in the binary image by k pixels, a vertical expansion circuit expanding each pattern in the image outputted from the shrinking circuit vertically by m pixel, an edge detector detecting a contour of each pattern in the image outputted from the vertical expansion circuit to produce an image containing an edge of each pattern, a horizontal expansion circuit expanding each pattern in the image outputted from the edge detector horizontally by n pixel, a horizontal contraction circuit contracting each pattern in the image outputted from the horizontal expansion circuit horizontally by n an identification circuit labeling patterns in the image outputted from the horizontal contraction circuit to identify the patterns, and a decoder. The identification circuit specifies a bar code area based on shape characteristics of the patterns. The decoder selects data on the image stored in the image storage which belongs in the bar code area specified by the identification circuit to decode the bar code.

Bar code reader for decoding a four state bar code

An image input section enters a document image including a bar code, and converts the document image into a binary image. A small pattern removing section removes small patterns from a binary image sent from the input section. A labeling section separates the binary image into labeled regions and calculates the feature quantity including a center position of each labeled region. A region detecting section makes a group of labeled regions spaced at a predetermined positional relationship based on their feature quantities and detects a bar code candidate region. A decoding section decodes the bar code based on the feature quantity involved in the bar code candidate region.

Bar code image processing apparatus

An image input section enters a document image including a bar code, and converts the document image into a binary image. An image memory section memorizes the binary image supplied from the image input section. A mask judging section performs a scanning operation using an M.times.M pixel window for detecting an alternate pattern from the binary image supplied from the image input section. A small pattern removing section removes small patterns from a binary image sent from the mask judging section. An expanding section expands a pattern involved in a binary image by an amount equivalent to k1 pixels when this binary image is sent from the small pattern removing section. A contracting section contracts a pattern involved in a binary image by an amount equivalent to k2 pixels when this binary image is sent from the expanding section. A region detecting section obtains the feature quantity of each pattern involved in a binary image sent from the contracting section, and detects a bar code candidate region based on the detected feature quantity. And, a decoding section decodes a detected bar code by reading a specific image region from the image memory section when the specific image region corresponds to the bar code candidate region detected by the region detecting section.

Bar code image processing apparatus capable of identifying position and

A wiring pattern inspection apparatus for inspecting an abnormality of a wiring pattern formed on a printed circuit board, which is equipped with an optical image pickup device for optically illuminating a surface of the printed circuit board including the wiring pattern to photoelectrically convert optical information of the printed circuit board surface due to the optical illumination into a grey level image. This grey level image is converted into a bi-level image which separates the grey level image into the wiring pattern side and a background side of the wiring pattern. Thereafter, the bi-level image is once contracted by a first size and then expanded by a second size so as to eliminate a micro conductive portion left on the printed circuit board or a micro pinhole which can be disregarded in the abnormality inspection, thereby preventing the excessive detection.

Wiring pattern inspection apparatus for printed circuit board

Pieces of feature information in a bi-level image such as a width, a branching point and an ending point of a wiring pattern are detected in a design rule checking section according to a micro inspection to find out pieces of feature information departing from a design rule. Also, feature codes in the bi-level image such as a corner of the wiring pattern are detected in a specific shape detecting section according to a macro inspection. The feature information are compared with pieces of referential feature information pertaining to a non-defective wiring pattern in a first comparing and judging section to judge whether the wiring pattern indicated by the feature information is defective or non-defective. The feature codes are compared with referential feature codes pertaining to a non-defective wiring pattern in a second comparing and judging section to judge whether the wiring pattern indicated by the feature codes is defective or non-defective. Therefore, defective types and portions of the wiring pattern can be detected by performing the macro inspection and the micro inspection in parallel without dividing the wiring pattern into processed regions.

Apparatus for inspecting a wiring pattern according to a

An inspection apparatus for inspecting a wiring pattern on a printed board by illuminating the printed board with light to photoelectrically convert light reflected from the printed board into an optical grey level image corresponding to the wiring pattern thereon, the grey level image being converted into a bi-level image. The inspection apparatus includes a thinning circuit to perform a thinning process for removing the bi-level image by one picture element from the background side of the wiring pattern, the thinning process being repeatedly performed predetermined times with respect to all of picture elements of the wiring pattern to output the number of repetitions of the thinning process and further to output a skeleton image. Also included is a distance image converter to output a distance conversion image where the number of repetitions is given as a distance value from the background of the wiring pattern. The inspection apparatus compares the distance value of the distance conversion image with one or more thresholds along the skeleton image. This arrangement allows direct detection of the wiring pattern width, thereby permitting the wiring pattern inspection with a simple structure.

Apparatus for inspecting wiring pattern formed on a board

A pattern inspection system for inspecting a pattern of a land for a through-hole formed in a printed board. In the system there are included a first illumination device for optically illuminating the printed board, a second illumination device for illuminating the printed board with light modulated at a predetermined period and an image pickup responsive to reflection light and transmission light from the printed board due to the first and second illumination devices to photoelectrically convert the printed board into a gray level image. The gray level image is converted into a bi-level image by a bi-level conversion device and then converted into an edge image by an edge detecting device. The edge image is expanded and contracted by predetermined amounts so as to obtain a through-hole image corresponding to the through-hole. A defect detecting device detects a defect of the pattern of the printed board on the basis of the through-hole image and the bi-level image from the bi-level conversion device.

Pattern inspection system for inspecting defect of land pattern for

An apparatus for receiving input data values representing an array of picture elements of a source image containing one or more bar code regions, whereby the input data values are converted to bi-level values representing black or white states which are stored in an image memory, while in addition the bi-level values are processed to obtain data representing an image in which a 'skeleton' central portion of the bar code region appears as an all-black region, while background black regions are eliminated. A central position and the slope of a central axis of the bar code region are computed based on that 'skeleton' region, and data values in the image memory which conform to the central axis are then read out, to read the bar code data.

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Kawasaki, Japan

Atsuharu Yamamoto