Mitutoyo Corporation

Hirato Sonobe

Sadayuki Matsumiya

Dahai Yu

Koichi Komatsu

Hiroyuki Kanamori

Ryan Northrup

Takeshi Saeki

A method is provided for controlling a Tracking AutoFocus (TAF) portion of a machine vision inspection system including an imaging portion, a movable workpiece stage, a control portion, and graphical user interface (GUI). The TAF portion automatically adjusts a focus position of the imaging portion to focus at a Z height corresponding to a current surface height of the workpiece. The method includes providing the TAF portion, and providing TAF enable and disable operations, wherein: the TAF disable operations comprise a first set of TAF automatic interrupt operations that are automatically triggered by user-initiated operations that include changing the Z height, and the TAF disable operations may further comprise automatic interrupt operations that are automatically triggered based on at least one respective TAF Z height surface tracking characteristic exceeding a previously set TAF disable limit for that respective TAF Z height surface tracking characteristic.

System and method for controlling a tracking autofocus (TAF) sensor in a machine vision inspection system

An image measuring apparatus includes a strobe illumination unit, a camera, a movement mechanism, and a controller. The controller includes a focus position detector that detects the focus position of the camera by controlling the movement mechanism to move the camera along the optical axis of the camera at a predetermined velocity and by controlling the camera to pick up an image of a measurement target object at plural positions. The focus position detector includes an illumination control unit that controls the lighting time of the strobe illumination unit, thereby controlling the brightness of illumination, a relative position acquisition unit that acquires the position of the camera at the center of the lighting time, and a contrast detection unit that detects the contrast of the image picked up by the camera.

Image measuring apparatus

An image measuring method comprises making no stop of an imaging means relative to a measurement stage at measurement positions (MP-MP), and capturing instantaneous images to acquire information required for measurement. A first direction to a measurement position (MP) to be measured next and a second direction from the measurement position (MP) to a next measurement position (MP) form an angle therebetween. If this angle exceeds a certain angle, an overshoot path is formed at a location beyond the measurement position (MP) in the first direction. The larger the angle formed between the first direction and the second direction, the lower the measurement speed at the measurement position (MP) is made.

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Miyazaki, Japan

Hirato Sonobe