Cognex Technology and Investment Corporation

The Mathworks, Inc.

Cognex Corporation

Other

Brian V Mirtich

Andrew Eames

John F Keating

Steven M Whitman

Brian Phillips

Jeffrey Michael Wendlandt

William M Silver

Robert J Tremblay, Ii

Jeff Wendlandt

Robert Tremblay

Arnav Mukherjee

Carroll McNeill Arbogast, Jr

Brian S Philips

Carroll McNeil Arbogast, Jr

In an embodiment, a network may represent a physical system. The network may have an element that represents an entity of the physical system. A value of a state associated with the network may be identified (e.g., generated) using various techniques. The state may be a low-level state associated with the network. The techniques may include, but are not limited to, for example, generating the value based on a scaffold defined for the network, generating the value based on a target value for the state, and/or generating the value based on applying an operation to various values of the state. The identified value may be associated with an identifier. The identifier may distinguish the value, for example, from other values of other states in the network and/or other values of states in other networks.

Managing dynamic state of a physical system

Disclosed are systems and methods for configuring a vision detector, wherein a training image is obtained from a production line operating in continuous motion so as to provide conditions substantially identical to those that will apply during actual manufacturing and inspection of objects. A training image can be obtained without any need for a trigger signal, whether or not the vision detector might use such a signal for inspecting the objects. Further disclosed are systems and methods for testing a vision detector by selecting, storing, and displaying a limited number of images from a production run, where those images correspond to objects likely to represent incorrect decisions.

Method and apparatus for configuring and testing a machine vision detector

In an embodiment, an element, that represents an entity in a system, is generated. The generated element may be incorporated in a network that represents the system. The generated element may include geometry information about a geometry of the entity. The geometry information may be used in one or more computations associated with a simulation or an analysis of the system. The element may have a frame port that exposes a frame. The frame may represent at least a position and an orientation in a two dimensional or three dimensional space with respect to another frame in the network. The other frame in the network may be a reference frame that may be defined by a 'world' that the system resides in. The generated element may be incorporated into the network by connecting the frame port to the network.

Representing geometry of a system in a modeling environment

This invention provides a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that operates in connection with a machine vision detector or other machine vision system, which provides a highly intuitive and industrial machine-like appearance and layout. The GUI includes a centralized image frame window surrounded by panes having buttons and specific interface components that the user employs in each step of a machine vision system set up and run procedure. One pane allows the user to view and manipulate a recorded filmstrip of image thumbnails taken in a sequence, and provides the filmstrip with specialized highlighting (colors or patterns) that indicate useful information about the underlying images. The programming of logic is performed using a programming window that includes a ladder logic arrangement.

Human-machine-interface and method for manipulating data in a machine vision system

A method of synchronizing a textual view, a block diagram view and a three-dimensional view of the system being modeled is provided. Aspects of the model can be displayed via a textual viewer, a block diagram viewer and a 3D viewer in an embodiment. A user may make a change to the block diagram representing the model via the block diagram viewer interface and changes may be dynamically made to the textual representation of the model via the textual viewer and to the 3D representation of the model via the 3D viewer. Exemplary embodiments may maintain synchronization of model views to allow dynamic updating of model views as determined by an environment in which the model views are operating.

System and method for synchronizing and using a three dimensional view with a block diagram model

This invention provides a system and method for employing GUI-based non-numeric slide buttons and bar meters to setup and monitor operating parameters of a vision system. Graphical representations of operating parameters are displayed in a parameter box on the GUI with moving bars that are shaded, patterned or colored so as to provide a relative level between two extremes on a scale of the given operating parameter. Input of operating parameter settings with respect to the scale is made by moving a setting slider along the scale between the extremes. The position of the slider establishes the user-input setting relative to the scale. In an illustrative embodiment, scales, level bars and setting sliders can also be displayed on the image view itself, adjacent to a given image view feature, which is the subject of the scale.

System and method for displaying and using non-numeric graphic elements to control and monitor a vision system

This invention provides a system and method for automating the setup of Locators and Detectors within an image view of an object on the HMI of a vision detector by determining detectable edges and best fitting the Locators and Detectors to a location on the object image view following the establishment of an user selected operating point on the image view, such as by clicking a GUI cursor. In this manner, the initial placement and sizing of the graphical elements for Locator and Detector ROIs are relatively optimized without excessive adjustment by the user. Locators can be selected for direction, including machine or line-movement direction, cross direction or angled direction transverse to cross direction and movement direction. Detectors can be selected based upon particular analysis tools, including brightness tools, contrast tools and trained templates. The Locators and detectors are each associated with a particular set of operating parameters, such as activation threshold, which are displayed in a control box within the GUI (and can be accessed by clicking on the specific Locator or Detector. A parameter bar can also be provided adjacent to the depiction of the Detector on the image view for easy reference. Both Locators and Detectors may be manually readjusted once automatically placed and sized by drag and drop techniques.

System and method for assigning analysis parameters to vision detector using a graphical interface

Disclosed are systems and methods for setting various operating parameters of a vision detector from production line information that can be supplied by a manufacturing technician who is not skilled in the art of the invention. These operating parameters include shutter time, video gain, idle time, frame count, and locator search range. The production line information includes line speed, field of view size, direction of motion, and object spacing.

Method for setting parameters of a vision detector using production line information

This invention provides a system and method for employing GUI-based non-numeric slide buttons and bar meters to setup and monitor operating parameters of a vision system (the term 'vision system' as used herein including the above-described vision detector). Such parameters can include, but are not limited to the threshold at which a feature is activated in viewing an image. Operating parameters also include the under-lying range of contrast values and levels of brightness intensities (or by input inversion, the level of darkness) recognized and acted upon by the vision system. Graphical representations of operating parameters are displayed in a parameter box on the GUI with moving bars that are shaded, patterned or colored so as to provide a relative level between two extremes on a scale of the given operating parameter. The endpoints of the scale can be established by analyzing the relevant extremes on a subject image view. The current level of the given parameter is displayed as a bar that extends a distance along the scale that is proportional to the current level of the parameter along the scale. Input of operating parameter settings with respect to the scale is made by moving a setting slider along the scale between the extremes. The position of the slider establishes the user-input setting relative to the scale. In an illustrative embodiment, scales, level bars and setting sliders can also be displayed on the image view itself, adjacent to a given image view feature, which is the subject of the scale.

Growing community of inventors

Medfield, MA, United States of America

Brian V Mirtich